My Will
by Foxterr
Summary: AU. Kagome Higurashi is sure that she's being controled by someone, but no one believes her tale! Well, save for a boy she meets in the hospital who goes by the name of InuYasha. Can he help her before she goes out of her mind?COMPLETE
1. Shadow Man

Author's Note: Hallo everyone! Well, I've had some downtime (I guess most would call it writer's block) and finally I have come up with a new story! Not without help, of course. Big thanx to my best friend, Becky, who helped me to come up with the idea for this story, and will prolly continue to help me throughout it. You can check out her stories under her pen name wiccachick76. Okay, here comes my favorite rule… You stop reviewing; I stop writing. Thanx, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha in any way, shape, form, or… manner.

My Will

Chapter 1: Shadow Man

The tall, foreboding man stepped slowly into the darkness of the tent, squinting his eyes to see through the dim. The woman inside stiffened as she felt his presence, for she sensed that this was a man not to be fooled with.

            "You're sign…" He began, his voice smooth and calm, "It says that you can see what a person most desires, and tell them where to find it."

            The fortuneteller smoothed out the front of her dress as she answered, "I can attempt. Unfortunately, some people are harder to read than others. I cannot guarantee—" Her voice caught in her throat as the man sat down across from her. The light from her fake crystal ball illuminated his face. He was handsome, with long dark hair that fell in tendrils down his back, and brown eyes that seemed almost red.

            "Tell me where to find it then." He stated firmly.

            The fortuneteller, losing her wits for a moment, stuttered, "F…find wha--? Oh! Why yes, of course. K… kindly allow me to see your left hand."

            To her surprise, the man had already placed it there, lying next to the crystal ball. With a nervous glance at him, the fortuneteller took it into her hands.

            "You're hand is rough and calloused; the hands of someone who has been wandering for a long time in search of something," She looked up hopefully, and he nodded for her to continue, "You are searching for… for…"

            In all honesty, she had no idea. She might as well have been staring at the back of his head rather than his palm for all the knowledge the woman held about the subject of palm reading. In most cases, she would have been as vague as possible, leading the customer to believe that she knew all. But for this man…  Squinting her eyes as if in deep concentration, she began to mutter things.

            "You don't know. Do you?" He finally interrupted her charade.

            The woman looked up, her eyes holding only fear. Slowly, she shook her head, pushing her chair back to make a hasty get away.

            The man grabbed her wrist; his calm expression fading as he quickly became angry. She yelped and tried to twist away as he pulled her towards him, knocking over the table in the process.

            "You're a liar. You led me to believe that you could tell me where the jewel was. In that case, you no longer deserve to live." As he pulled her to his chest, the fortuneteller felt the cold of a knife blade against her neck.

            "Wait!" She cried out, tears streaming down her face, "I… I can give you something to help you!" She quickly became hysterical, "Please! Don't kill me…" She began to sob.

            "What can you possibly give me?" He asked, pressing the knife deeper into her neck.

            "It's this!" She screamed, taking a small stone out of a pocket in her dress, and flinging it across the tent. The rock landed with a thud onto the dirt floor.

            Letting go of the sobbing woman, the man dashed for the stone, grabbing it off the ground. "What is this?" He spat at her, rolling it between his fingers.

            The woman was calmer now, although tears still streamed down her face. She sat down heavily upon a chair, and took a deep, ragged breath.

            "There's a symbol carved into the side of that stone. With your knife, you must carve that symbol into your dominant hand. All you have to do is shake someone's hand after you've completed that, and give them the stone. Once that's done, the person will be under your control." She took in another ragged breath and shuddered.

            "Mind control?" He asked, looking thoughtfully at the carving in the stone.

            The fortuneteller nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. She was unconsciously rubbing the spot where the knife had touched her skin, and wincing as she did so.

            "I'll spare you're life then. If this doesn't work, though, be assured that I will come back to kill you." And with that, he was gone.

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            Kagome hummed cheerily to herself as she walked down the path in the park. It was such a beautiful day. The weather was wonderful, and this seemed to put a smile on everyone's face that she passed. She quickly found herself shaking hands with strangers as she talked to them about their dog, or their new baby, or anything else that came to mind.

            This part of the park was shady, as the trees grew on each side of the path. She veered off to the right, taking a less traveled path into the woods. This led to her favorite area, a large rock right by a stream. It was peaceful and placid, a perfect spot for studying.

            Hoisting her yellow backpack higher over her shoulders, Kagome trotted merrily among the trees, smiling as birds and various other creatures crossed her path.

            The last thing that she expected to find was a man sitting on her rock, especially one with such long, black hair. As she studied him closer, Kagome saw that he was frowning, as if in deep thought, and he did not seem to be in a fitting mood for such a lovely day. Not only that, but he was in her favorite spot.

            "Hi!" Kagome stopped and waved at him. He turned slowly towards her, and after a moment, acknowledged the cheerful girl with nothing more than a nod.

            Kagome, not about to give up her favorite spot, walked over to the rock and smiled brightly at him, "Lovely day, isn't it?" She pulled off her heavy backpack and leaned it against the rock.

            He turned towards her once again, frowning, "Yes, I suppose it is."

            "Live around here?" She asked, hoping that he'd quickly become annoyed and leave.

            "No…" He sighed, "Just another wanderer on one of life's journey's," He smiled at her now, as if realizing something. Reaching his hand down to her, he added, "I don't believe that we've ever met. I'm Naraku."

            Kagome smiled back at him and took his hand, giving it a hearty shake, "Nice to meet you. I'm Kagome."

            As she pulled away, the girl noticed a thick, red liquid all over her hand, "You're bleeding!" She cried, jumping back slightly.

            "Oh, I'll be fine, he smiled again as he handed her a handkerchief, "Just cut myself on a sharp branch."

            As Kagome was busy washing her hands vigorously in the icy water of the stream, she did not notice the man slip a stone into her backpack, and then run off.

            "Well, I hope that—"She began as she turned around, but trailed off finding no one there. Originally, Kagome would have been quite delighted about this, and would have taken out her math book and began some much needed studying. But she suddenly felt a very powerful headache coming on, and had no desire to study algebra in a state of agony. Kagome quickly decided that it would be best to go home and take something for her head.

            As she began to walk down the path, the pain got steadily worse. "Migraine…" She muttered, rubbing her temples to sooth the ache. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears, and the pain became unbearable. Kagome cried out as she clutched her hair and sank to her knees onto the path, attracting the attention of a passing jogger, who ran to her side.

            "Help…" was the last thing she could utter before completely blacking out.

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Extra Author's Note: Interested? Review if you want more!       


	2. Dreams and Memories

Author's Note: Hallo again! Thanx for all of the reviews, everyone! They made me SO happy! I'm glad that you enjoy this story! I wanted to reward everyone for reviewing, so I decided to come out with a second chapter as soon as possible. Well, here it is. Remember my rule, you stop reviewing; I stop writing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I've never owned InuYasha or any other anime. Wish I did though… InuYasha and Kenshin would be all mine! Hugs imaginary people in front of her

My Will

Chapter 2: Dreams and Memories

"Kagome, dear, can you hear me?" The voice seemed far away, and the girl barely recognized it. She winced as she began to regain consciousness, and her mind tried to clear the blackness. "Can you hear me? Open your eyes, hun."

            "Mom?" Her voice was raspy, alerting her to the fact that her throat was very dry. As she opened first one eye, and then the other, someone handed her a cup of water. She drank it down quickly.

            After downing the cup of water, Kagome looked up, squinting her eyes in the bright light of the hospital room. She soon realized that her mother sat next to the bed, patting her arm soothingly. A nurse took the empty cup out of her hands and placed it aside.

            "Do you know where you are?" The nurse asked slowly and rather loudly. Kagome, still in a slight daze, allowed her eyes to wander around the room before she answered. The walls where white, with one picture of… a giant pink mess.

            Kagome rubbed her gray eyes with her knuckles, hoping to dispel the blur that invaded her vision. Dimly, she heard the nurse repeat her question, slightly louder this time.

            "I heard you the first time. I'm not deaf," Kagome muttered, annoyed. She turned her gaze to the nurse. She was a rather plump woman with curly, light brown hair that didn't go past her ear lobes, and grayish skin. The large amount of make up she had on did not help to hide the gray color that told she did not get enough sleep. She narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips, and reminding Kagome of a disgruntled hippo.

            "Then answer me, girl," She stated, glaring hard at Kagome.

"I'm in a hospital."

            The nurse nodded and left the room in a huff, grabbing the empty cup on her way out.

            "How are you feeling, dear?" Kagome turned her head to meet her mother's gaze. It held both worry and relief at the same time, and Kagome briefly wondered if her mother had been up all night next to her.

            "I think I'm okay," Kagome smiled weakly at her, but it quickly turned into a frown when she realized something. "How did I get here?" There seemed to be a large gap in her memory. She could remember walking down the path towards her favorite spot, and then waking up here.

            Mrs. Higurashi looked slightly distressed by the fact that her daughter could not remember, but she pulled herself together quickly. "You fainted while you were in the park. Luckily that jogger was nearby, or they might not have found you so quickly. What were you doing so far in the woods?"

            Kagome shook her head, "I… I was going to this place that I like to study at, but I don't remember ever getting there."

            Mrs. Higurashi leaned closer and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "It's okay, dear. You must have passed out on your way there. The doctors say that you're fine. They can't find anything really wrong with you, so that means that you can come home today."

            Kagome smiled at her mother, "Oh, good. I need a shower." She pulled a piece of her matted hair towards her face so that she could see it. Her mother gave a weak chuckle and hugged her tightly.

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            The man pulled his katana out of the woman's body, glowering at the blood dripping from the tip. As he wiped it off calmly with the handkerchief her always kept in his pocket for such an occasion, slight scuffling alerted him to a survivor.

            Turning around quickly, brandishing his weapon high, he faced the noise coming from the corner.

            An old man, his eyes wide and face as white as his matted hair, pressed himself up against the wall, a look of utter fear in his eyes.

            The tall man smiled wickedly, pointing the katana at the old man's throat, and preparing for another slaughter.

            "No! Please…" The old man's voice was forced, as though he hadn't the strength to talk. Naraku's smile widened. He loved it when people begged for their lives. It made killing them all the more pleasurable.

            "Why shouldn't I kill you?" He asked, taking a step forward so that the tip of the sword barely touched the old man's neck, "After all, I've already killed your family. Wouldn't you like to join them?"

            The old man's eyes burned with hatred as he narrowed them. The man pressed the katana blade deeper into the neck, just short of breaking the skin. "Tell me!" He demanded. This game was quickly becoming a bother.

            "I'll give you something," The old man's eyes flashed maliciously as he pulled something out of his robes.

            The man took a step back, lowering his blade as he stared. It was half of a very beautiful pink jewel. Even in the dark of the apartment it glowed. The man took it without another word, turning to leave the apartment.

            Suddenly, his heart clenched in his chest, and pain shot through his nerves to every limb. There was something wrong. This was no ordinary jewel! The man gasped as he as though something were slowly leaving him. Through the pain and his own yelling, the man heard the screeching of the old man.

            "The Shikon No Tama Curse is passed to you for your evil deeds! Your soul has been taken from you, and you can never have it back! Not unless you find the other half of this jewel! And you NEVER will!"

"NO!" Naraku bolted upright, yelling. A cold sweat ran over the bare skin of his neck and arms. He hated the memory more than anything. It haunted his dreams at night, and his thoughts during the day. He would never be free of them unless…

"Not unless you find the other half of this jewel! And you NEVER will!"

            "NO!" Kagome screamed, opening her eyes only to be met by the dark. Her breath came in deep, heaving gasps as she fought to keep herself under control. Where had that come from?

            Suddenly, a mass of memories came flooding back to her. She remembered the man on the rock… the same man that had killed that whole family in her dream. She remembered shaking his hand, and his blood. She remembered…

            Kagome winced as she recalled that he had given her a handkerchief. The same one he had used in the dream to wipe the blood off his sword.

            "Kagome, are you alright? I heard yelling!" Mrs. Higurashi ran into the room and turned on the light, forcing Kagome to groan and close her eyes as the harsh light invaded the darkness.

            "Kagome?!" Another yell, this time from her grandfather. He dashed into the room, almost tripping over her mother.

            "I'm fine," Kagome muttered, deeply sorry for waking them up, but tired all the same, "It was just a nightmare. I'll be fine."

            But as her mother and grandfather left the room, Kagome began to wonder if she would really be okay. Her headache was coming back full force. With a groan, she turned over and fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams full of bloodshed and pink jewels.

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            "I'll use her…" Naraku snarled after waking up for the second time with the same memories plaguing his dreams. He stared at the symbol carved into his right palm, and then clenched his fist. "I'll find the other half of that jewel if it's the last thing I do. Probably the last thing _she_ will do…"

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Extra Author's Note: I hope that everyone understood this. If you're a little confused, just ask in your REVIEW obsessed that I am and I'll be sure to answer you through an email, or after the next chapter!


	3. Test

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long. I didn't really have the time this past week or so. I try to keep my updates, at the most, a week… but sometimes I can't update that fast. Please bare with me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad that you like the story. Well, remember, you stop reviewing; I stop writing. Thanks and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha… but this story is mine… and Becky's… I want some bacon and eggs…

My Will

Chapter 3: Test

Kagome wandered downstairs to breakfast that morning with dark bags under her eyes, and a dark mood to match. Mrs. Higurashi looked up from the stove to smile at her daughter, who scuffled in and sat down heavily at the table.

            "Sleep well, dear?" She asked cheerfully, flipping the cheese omelet with a spatula.

            "Bad dreams…" Kagome muttered, grabbing the jug of orange juice and pouring herself a glass. She had been in and out all night, dreaming of that man that she had met in the park. Should she tell her mother about him?

            "Here you go, honey," Mrs. Higurashi placed a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of the girl. As the wonderful smell of a hardy breakfast drifted up to Kagome's nose, she grabbed her fork and decided to forget about her dreams.

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            "Hey, Kagome!" Eri and Ayame came running full speed down the sidewalk, waving their arms in the air to get the girl's attention.

            Kagome turned around, and smiled at them, shifting her heavy backpack on her shoulders. The two days that she missed while recuperating from the incident were really going to cost her. She was already behind in math as it was.

            Ayame was the first to reach Kagome, skidding to a halt just short of barreling into her. "Are you okay??" She asked, a concerned look on her face. Eri came huffing and puffing shortly after, giving Kagome a slight smile as she regained her breath.

            "I feel great. I mean, other than the fact that we have a math test today… Why?" Kagome rambled, forgetting all about her incident at the park.

            "Well, we heard that you passed out at the park a few days ago," Eri added as Ayame shot Kagome a quizzical look.

            "Oh that!" Kagome waved her hand, "I'm fine. The doctors said that there's nothing wrong with me. I must have been overheated or something."

            The three girls turned and began to walk towards the school, Eri and Ayame sharing the latest gossip with Kagome. Apparently some students were convinced that she had died right there in the park, while others where sure that she was in critical condition, but still alive, in the hospital. It's amazing how much faster rumors can spread than the truth can.

            "Higurashi!" A male voice called in the distance. All three whirled around, only to find themselves standing in front of a tall, dark haired boy from school. The two girls turned simultaneously and squealed in each of Kagome's ears, "It's Hojo!"

            "Hey!" He said brightly, smiling at Kagome, "Feeling any better?"

            Kagome nodded her head with a sweet smile, "Much better, thanks."

            Hojo, whose hands had been in his pockets during the entire exchange, took out one hand to reveal a small, pink bottle. "These are bath salts. My mother says that they're good for clearing your mind. Thought that you might like them."

            Kagome could almost hear her two friends' silent squeals as Hojo handed her the little bottle. In fact, she had all she could do to contain her own delight. This was the cutest guy in school, talking to _her_! Suddenly, she felt very awkward as she stood there grinning like a fool. But her embarrassment was short lived as a school bell could be heard ringing in the distance.

            All four ran as if their lives depended on it.

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            The day passed along uneventfully. A few people came and asked her how she was doing, and Kagome would merely smile and say, "Fine, thanks." All and all, the day was just as boring and tedious as the last.

            Until, of course, math period came.

            Kagome sat in the utter silence of room 213, lightly tapping her pencil against the desk, lost in thought. The only sound besides her tapping was that of the clock as the minutes ticked by.

            If there had ever been a test created for torture, this was the one. Kagome decided quickly as she felt another headache coming on. Wrinkling her nose in annoyance, she placed her thumb and forefinger at the base of her nose and massaged. Her efforts proved to be useless, both on her headache, and on the test.

            With an exasperated sigh, Kagome sat back, the pain building. Suddenly, she was reminded of the blinding headache shortly before she had passed out at the park, and fear gripped at her chest. Was she going to pass out again? The light tapping of her pencil died away, and she sat in silence for nearly five minutes.

            _'Hello.'_

            Kagome jumped in her seat, her pencil falling and snapping on the cold, linoleum floor. A few people looked up to give her a curious stare, but everyone else was too engrossed in their algebra to notice.

            "Miss Higurashi, are you alright?" A voice rang out from the front of the classroom. Kagome looked up from staring at her broken pencil, only to see her math teacher staring at her, one eyebrow raised.

            "I… Could I go to the nurse?" She stuttered.

            The teacher nodded, turning his eyes back to the dozens of wrong answers on the completed test paper before him.

            Kagome picked up her broken pencil with a shaking hand, shoved it into her backpack, and dashed out of the room.

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            She was surely going insane. After all, it's not everyday that a girl starts hearing voices in her head. She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, and her breath coming in short gasps. Kagome admitted that she was scared. Terrified to say the least. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she clasped them around the handles of her backpack.

            _'Hello Kagome Higurashi.'_

            Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, her backpack dropping to the floor. No one else was in the hall to see the terrified look upon her face, or to see the tears streaming down her face.

            _'I'm going insane…' _Her thoughts were everywhere, leaving her barely able to collect them. Her headache was flaring up to an almost blinding pain, but she barely noticed.

            _'No no, you aren't going insane. I'm talking to you in your mind,'_

Kagome stood, still frozen for a few more minutes, unable to speak or cry for help. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, and her eyes were wide with fear.

            "Get out," She finally found the strength to say, "GET OUT!" She began to scream the same thing over and over again as she clutched her hair and sunk to her knees onto the cold hallway. "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" She began to claw at her scalp, as if trying to rid herself of this demon in her mind. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her face, as she continued to scream.

            Teachers ran out of their rooms but stopped abruptly at the doorway, throwing their arms out to stop any students from getting out into the hallway and seeing the horrible, blubbering mess that was once a student named Kagome Higurashi.

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Extra Author's Note: Still interested?? GO REVIEW! YAY!


	4. Harper's Grove Hospital

Author's Note: Hello again. I finally found some time to write. Hopefully it hasn't been too long. Thanks for the reviews everyone! I love to hear what you think. Besides, it only takes a second out of your time, and you're making someone happy. Doesn't that make _you_ feel happy? Maybe it's just me… Anyway, you stop reviewing; I stop writing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Would anyone really care if I didn't put this in? Would anyone really do anything if I proclaimed on this page that I owned InuYasha? Although I don't… of course… (Sweat drop) Please don't sue!

My Will

Chapter 4: Harper's Grove Hospital

"GET OUT!" Kagome continued to scream as the nurse ran towards her down the hallways, yelling things to the teachers that the distressed girl could not hear.

            "It's alright, dear. You're going to be fine…" She tried in vain to comfort the sobbing mess. She wrapped her thick arms around the girl's shoulders and hugged her tightly, hushing her for only a moment.

            "NO! He's in my head! Get him out!" Kagome screamed, shoving the nurse onto the ground in front of her and leaping up. She was shaking like mad, and her steps were unsteady at first as she tried to walk away. To walk away from that voice…

            The nurse whirled around on the floor, grabbing Kagome's ankle and sending the girl flailing to the cold tile. "Call 911! I think she's about to go into seizures!" The nurse barked her order at no one in particular, but two teachers shot out of their doorways towards the main office for the phone.

            "Now Kagome, dear, calm down! Everything's going to be alright!" The nurse grabbed the girl in her arms and held her tightly on the floor in front of her. She clasped her hands around Kagome's wrists as the girl thrashed and screamed bloody murder. 

            It wasn't long until Kagome was able to twist free of the nurse's grasp. Teachers screamed as she ran down the hall, adding to the noise of the student's confused and angry yells from the classrooms.

            She fled down the hall without once looking back, her mind fixed on the sound of her feet hitting the tile with each step she took. She didn't notice the book lying in the hallway in her mad dash, nor did she even realize that she was falling at first. For one fleeting moment, Kagome thought that her soul had been set free, and she was flying above this mess.

            Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Kagome did not have the strength to keep fighting, and thrashed half-heartedly. As she felt a sharp pain in her arm, movement became nearly impossible. She welcomed the darkness with open arms.

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             Bloodlust. That could only explain it. That pulsing energy that overtook his senses in that moment just before he slashed the man's throat. At last, his revenge had been exacted.

            As the crimson blood pooled around the old man's body, he bent down and lifted the corpse, searching pockets and folds. It was not there. Anger pounded through his nerves as he threw the body back onto the floor, blood splashing up onto his face.

            The man wiped it off with the back of his hand, as if it had only been water from a short drizzle. His rage taking over, the man picked his katana off of the floor, and walked out of the apartment and into the hallway. On his way home his blade tasted the blood of a cleaning woman, and a drunken man staggering home from the bar.

Kagome felt his rage, and his bloodlust. She killed those people alongside of him, felt the blade go through their innocent bodies, and stain her skin. The coppery scent was strong on her clothes, the scent of death.

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             She sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide. It had been a dream… but it had seemed so real. Was she doomed to have that man haunt her dreams, as well as her mind forever? She had to do something. She could not stand living if her mind was not hers any longer.

            "Kagome Higurashi?" A gently, flowing voice came from the doorway. Her eyes darted towards the sound, narrowing with distrust.

            "I trust you're doing better now." The voice continued, as the owner walked into the room. He was tall, with short, black hair tied in a small ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck. His white coat that reached to about his knees flowed with each step he took. Kagome stared blankly at him.

            "Hello." He said, finally meeting her eyes, and shot her a charming grin. Any other time, under any other circumstance, and Kagome would have melted. But this was different. He was a doctor, and therefore, an enemy.

            "Where am I?" She did not ask, but demanded to know. An eyebrow shot up at her in question.

            "Testy, aren't we? You're in Harper's Grove Hospital. Now can we start your exam?" He answered her, and pulled out his clipboard.

            "Wait," She muttered, holding up a hand to stop him from beginning whatever torture he had planned, "Harper's Grove… Isn't that the…" Kagome's eyes widened as realization hit her like a brick thrown from a two story high window.

            "… Mental hospital…"

            The doctor's eyes were soft. Obviously he felt sorry for her. "I'm afraid it is," He said, non-to reassuringly. "The doctors at your regular hospital decided to send you down here after they found that you were fine." He brightened up slightly, "But that's okay. We'll have fun here, right?"

            Kagome glared at him.

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            He was finally gone. Now she could leave, not only this place, but also her whole messed up life. All she had to do was find something sharp… Anything.

            A pencil sat on the bedside table. Kagome stared at it for a moment, before walking over to it on unsteady legs. If she did this, there would be no turning back. Would her family be better off for it? No mental hospital bills, no dealing with off-her-rocker Kagome. With each step, she tried to convince herself that this was the best for everyone.

            Picking up the pencil, she poked the tip with her finger. It was newly sharpened. She brought it to her left wrist, drawing a light line on it with the graphite tip. She gripped the pencil in her right hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. If she was able to cut deep enough, then it could be done in one swipe. She took a deep breath in preparation.

            "I wouldn't do that."

            Kagome whirled around, her freedom tumbling from her shaking hand and smashing into three pieces on the floor.

            A tall boy leaned against the doorframe. His strangely white hair was unnaturally long, and flowed down his back, with tendrils that rested upon his shoulders. He wore a bright red shirt, with slightly baggy and faded old jeans. The boy glared at her with deep, amber eyes. Eyes that she could get lost in if she looked long enough.

            "Why not?" She grumbled, bending down to pick up the pieces of the pencil. The boy walked over, and Kagome met his gaze as she stood up. His hand was held out, waiting for her to hand him the only release she had.

            Kagome shook her head. The strange boy raised his eyebrows. With a quick movement, he tapped the back of the hand where the pencil pieces rested, and grabbed them as they flew through the hair.

            "Nice trick," Kagome muttered as her gray eyes continued to glare at him, "Who are you?"

            He shrugged his shoulders, "Just another nutcase wandering around the loony bin. Call me InuYasha."

            Kagome smiled weakly, suddenly realizing what a dumb thing she had just attempted. She held out her hand for him to shake, regaining some of her usual happiness, "Nice to meet you. I'm Kagome." He shook her hand roughly.

            "I, uh… Thank you" She spoke timidly, hoping that he would understand the situation she had been in.

            "Whatever." He grunted, standing in front of her. He seemed to be averting his eyes from her.

            "What's wro—" She began, and then realized. She was wearing a hospital gown, one that unfortunately turned out to be the open backed kind.

            Her face turning ten different shades of red, Kagome clasped the back closed with her hands as she screeched at the top of her lungs, "Pervert!"

            And so was the beginning of her stay at Harper's Grove Mental Institution.

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Extra Author's Note: I added a some light humor in the story (hopefully you found some parts a tad funny) One of the ideas that helped to come up with this story was my idea of a humor fanfiction that takes place in a mental hospital. Although this is not quite the same, I still want to lighten it up a bit with something here and there. Would you rather that I kept it dark and angsty, or do you like the little bit of humor? I won't know unless you review!


	5. Patient

Author's Note: I'm REALLY sorry everyone!! I hate to leave you for so long without an update, but it couldn't really be helped. No, I'm not about to give you some long, drawn out, complicated story about school work being too much for me to handle, or my teachers being too hard, or even about my crazy bus driver on crack who's late everyday. The truth is that… my computer crashed. Blame it all on NetZero. Any of you that have NetZero, I feel your pain and pity you. Okay, enough with my dribbling. Please review so that I know that people are still reading this even after my long absence. Remember, if you stop reviewing; I stop writing. Thanks so much for understanding, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or Kermit the Frog, or a horse. But I'm okay with that.

My Will

Chapter 5: Patient

"I'm not going home, am I?" Kagome asked the man as he scribbled something onto her chart. He looked up, his concerned eyes meeting hers over the large desk.

            "I'm afraid not, Miss Higurashi," Miroku answered, setting the chart and pen down on his desk, "After your strange behavior at your high school the other day, we've decided to keep you here for observation for a little while."

            "Great…" Kagome turned her head away from him, staring blankly at the globe in the corner. It was a beautiful piece of work, cleaned to a fine shine over the surface. A black marble base held it up firmly and proudly.

            Kagome suddenly realized that Miroku was talking to her. He was a strange doctor, now that she mused about it. Young, it seemed, with a soft voice. He was normally in a good mood, and insisted that his patients call him by his first name.

            "… be putting you in a special room upstairs for short-term patients. You'll come to see me everyday, and we'll talk about what's on your mind." He paused for a moment, obviously waiting for some sort of comment. Kagome continued to stare at the globe defiantly.

            She heard Miroku sigh and shuffle behind his desk. Curiously, Kagome turned her head slightly to see his movements out of the corner of her eye. He pulled open at least five drawers before straightening up with his prize.

            "Cookie?" He asked pleasantly, opening a package of Pepperidge Farm's double chocolate chunk before holding it out over the desk.

            Kagome turned to face him now, eyeing the package both suspiciously and hungrily. She could definitely use a chocolate fix at the moment. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed one, pulling it close to her.

            "There we go," Miroku chuckled, pulling one out himself and consuming it in less than three bites, "So what do you think?"

            Kagome took a small bite of her cookie, noticing miserably that it had no taste.

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"… And down that hall you'll find the cafeteria," The nurse said, walking briskly in front of Kagome during the short tour, "Along that one, you'll find a workout area," The woman pointed towards the right with a well manicured finger. Her orange hair bounced in its tight curls as she trotted down the hall. Kagome thought that she'd be a pretty woman if she'd tone down on the makeup a bit.

            "There—" Kagome cut the tour short, eager to go see her room and evaluate it.

            "There is Miroku's office. Keep going down that way is the main desk and the entrance." She smiled at the woman, hoping to be led to her room.

            "Well, seems that you know everything quite well. Let's go see your room, shall we?" Kagome brightened up. It wasn't that she was happy to be stuck in this place, but believed that she might as well make the best of it. If her room was a nice one, then she could survive here.

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            White walls surrounded her on all sides, making Kagome feel near sick. She could feel her pupils painfully contract to keep out the unwanted light as she gazed around the room, blinking hard.

            The bed sheets of the twin-sized bed were white, as well as the comforter. A single blue blanket was folded neatly at the end. A white painted night table sat next to the bed, holding up a blue lamp with a white shade. A dresser sat at the other corner, a blue vase on top adorned with daisies. There were no pictures on the walls, just the white paint.

            "Ugh…" Kagome groaned as she furiously rubbed her eyes, "It's too bright!"

            The orange haired nurse gave a knowing smile. "You'll get used to it," and she left without another word, leaving Kagome standing in the middle of the room, half blind.

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            Naraku sat up on the park bench, grumbling to himself. The Shikon jewel had been just in his reach… But it had disappeared so suddenly, he felt dizzy. Flashes of a blinding white light went off behind his eyelids whenever he closed them.

            It was that wench fortuneteller's entire fault. She had told him about the power that he would have over his victim's mind, but had neglected to mention that he would be mentally connected with them in his dreams. It was one thing to see the images through that girl's eyes when he wished too, but another to be forced to see them as though he was standing next to her. The visions were annoying and troublesome.

            No matter, though, for Kagome, as he had found her name to be, would die as soon as her work for him was done. Naraku would make sure of that. Just as soon as he clasped his fingers around the other half of the Shikon Jewel…

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            Kagome wandered down the hallway, trying desperately to find the cafeteria. She mentally hit herself over and over again for not paying attention during the tour.

            It wasn't long until she hit the third floor, hoping in vain that food would turn up. She was so hungry she could almost smell the chicken in biscuits. Even through her hunger, though, she heard a familiar voice call out to her from behind.

            Spinning around quickly, Kagome was met by a tall boy in a red t-shirt and faded jeans. She recognized him immediately as the boy who had saved her life earlier that day. After all, how could she forget those long locks of thick, white hair?

            "InuYasha!" She said happily, walking over to him. He gave a snort that sounded almost like a 'hey' in reply. Kagome stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Should she thank him again? Suddenly, her stomach gave a long, loud growl that echoed down the hallway.

            InuYasha raised an eyebrow at her, "hungry?"

            "Starving!" She groaned, putting a hand on her stomach as if trying to calm it.

            "Can't find the cafeteria?" He asked, staring at her with an odd look on his face that Kagome couldn't quite place. It seemed to be between amusement and bewilderment.

            "No…" She sighed, "I've been wandering these halls for nearly an hour now."

            He smiled then, a bright cheery smile that gave Kagome a swift sweeping motion in her stomach. His amber eyes brightened with laughter, and his chuckle was enough to make her knees weak.

            "Come on. I'll help you find it. Lousy with direction, eh?" He laughed, starting for the elevator.

            Kagome stood dumbfounded for a moment before running to his side, "I'll have you know that I'm excellent with directions! I'm just not used to this place yet."

            He snorted then, the grin still on his face. It was beginning to anger Kagome now. Did he think that she was stupid or something? "Stop laughing at me! It's not funny!" She yelled at him as they stepped into the elevator.

            InuYasha hunched over in laughter then, so much that he could barely push the buttons. Kagome moved to get push one, but the boy stopped her.

 "That's okay, I'll get it. With your sense of direction we'll probably end up in the basement." He hit the button for the main floor, leaving Kagome to fume in the corner as they went down.

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Extra Author's Note: Please review! It only takes a seck. It helps to stimulate my brain so that I can write more… It's like food for my brain. Yeah, that's it… food… can you tell that I was hungry when I wrote this chapter?


	6. Marbles

Author's Note: Okay, a new update finally! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I hadn't planned to do this until tomorrow, but then I got a review out of the blue, and decided to work on it tonight. See? Your reviews can make a difference! And… as an answer to someone's question, and perhaps many of you were wondering the same. The answer is yes; Kikyo is going to be in this story. However, I do not intend to make her the bad guy, or even _a_ bad guy. Remember; if you stop reviewing, I stop writing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No one on this site owns InuYasha unless Rumiko Takahashi publishes stories on fanfiction.net. Cause if she did… I would be reading them instead of writing my own! But then again… They would probably be in Japanese… Where's Viz when you need them?? (I also don't own the Viz company… ^_^;;)

My Will

Chapter 6: Marbles

Kagome dimly followed InuYasha to the cafeteria, ready to kick herself when she realized that she had passed it three times in her hungry wanderings. InuYasha had gone back to his regular I-don't-care attitude, with a frown set on his face, and his eyes holding nothing but boredom.

            Kagome sighed with glee as she saw that the lunch line contained a mere three people. She happily trotted over, grabbing a small, red tray, and hopped into line.

            A few moments later, a disgusted looking girl walked listlessly over to where InuYasha sat. She flopped down next to him, banging her tray onto the table in the process.

            "How am I supposed to eat this??" She complained, staring at the mysterious brown glob sitting next to a pile of large green goop. InuYasha shrugged his shoulders, wolfing down a bite of the ramen sitting in front of him. "Where'd you get that?" Kagome asked, eyeing it hungrily.

            "One of the nurses smuggles it in for me," He said in between mouthfuls, shrugging yet again. Kagome grumbled. Picking up her fork, she began to poke at the thing on her plate, wondering if it was still alive or not.

            "Aren't you going to introduce me, InuYasha?" A new voice rang out from across the table. The boy looked up, a ramen noodle hanging from his mouth.

            "Never mind… I'll do it," The girl sighed, turning to smile at Kagome, "Hi, I'm Sango. It's nice to see a new face at this table. InuYasha here normally scares everybody else away," She shot a glare at the boy, who continued to consume his ramen at an alarmingly fast rate.

            Kagome stared for a moment. The girl was pretty, with straight black hair that went down to her lower back. She had it tied in a loose ponytail, so that the rest framed her face. Kagome admired her clothes: a violet, form fitting shirt, and a long, dark purple skirt. It suited her nicely. "I'm Kagome."

            Sango continued to smile as Kagome tried to think of what to say next. What do you say to someone in the mental hospital? She knew very well not to ask why the girl was there. That was rude and inconsiderate. Of course, impolite or not, curiosity got the better of her.

            "How come you're here?" Kagome asked innocently, barely aware that the question had tumbled out. Sango's smile faltered, and she lowered her head to stare blankly at her plate.

            Kagome felt a foot on top of hers, applying a small amount of pressure. It didn't take more than a second for her to realize that InuYasha was warning her. Kagome decided to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the hour.

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            "Listen, you don't just go around asking that stuff," InuYasha said quietly to Kagome as they walked down the hallway. She felt like a child being rebuked. 

            "Well, I couldn't help it. It just kind of… came out," She defended.

            "Whatever," InuYasha muttered, "Just leave people around here alone. Some of them can get… nasty."

            Kagome nodded gravely, staring intently at the blue and white tiles they passed by, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on. With a wave of goodbye, InuYasha turned into his room.

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            After wandering down the hall for a few minutes, Kagome finally located her room. Inside she found her yellow backpack sitting on the bed, still stuffed full of the books that she had left there.

            It was then Kagome remembered that she had nothing to wear to sleep that night. Her mother was supposed to bring her bags tomorrow, or so the nurse told her. Apparently, no visitors were aloud for a few days so that the patient could become used to the environment. She couldn't figure out why they couldn't at least have her bags dropped off. With a sigh, Kagome decided that she could sleep in her gym shirt, as it was certainly big enough.

            Opening her backpack to make sure that it was there, she watched a small, plastic bottle fall to the floor and bounce into the corner. Picking it up, Kagome remembered it as the bath salts that Hojo had given her.

            Placing it gently onto the nightstand, Kagome returned to her backpack, pulling out the gray shirt and laying it on the bed. The books from her afternoon classes still sat, untouched, inside. Kagome vaguely wondered how she was going to catch up with math now.

            All thoughts vanished out of her head as the girl felt a sudden throb, as her headache took on a life of its own. Kagome sank to her knees, using the bed as support. She clutched the sheet until her knuckles turned white.

            "Kagome…" The deep, ominous voice echoed in her ears.

            "NO!" She could feel the panic taking over again, and flashes from the day at school. But this time she saw it as if she was watching from the side, detached from her body. She couldn't let that happen again. She had to convince these people to let her go home!

            Groaning as quietly as she could, Kagome climbed into her bed, not even bothering with the covers. Laying her head down onto the pillow carefully, so as not to spike the throbbing, she closed her eyes. Sleep took her quickly, as the pain exhausted her.

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            "Time to wake up. You've slept in late enough." Kagome heard the distant voice and reached for it… it was as if she were swimming up from the bottom of a lake towards the sun and the surface. With a flutter of her eyelids, she broke the stillness.

            "You slept well, I hope?" The nurse that met Kagome's eyesight had long, black hair, tied in a loose ponytail. There were strands from the sides that loosely rested on her shoulders, curving up to meet the ponytail in the back.

            "Not really," Kagome muttered, sitting up. Dreams of that murderous man had lifted her in and out of consciousness all night long, leaving her feeling weary and drained.

            "I'm sure that you'll get used to it around here," The nurse's voice was calm and floated evenly. Kagome noticed that in fact, the woman herself was a very relaxed person. Her movements flowed just like her words as she opened the curtain to allow the light in.

            "Breakfast is downstairs. If you need anything, I'm your area nurse, Miss Kikyo," And with that, the woman was gone.

            Kagome grumbled, standing up and stretching her arms high over her head. Pulling a brush out of her backpack, she ran it through her raven hair to get out the snags and tangles. To end the morning routine, she would have brushed her teeth, gotten dressed, and then wandered down to breakfast. Unfortunately, the first two were not possible at the moment; so she settled for heading down to get some food.

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            Halfway down the hall towards the stairs, Kagome spotted InuYasha sitting in his room, or more so, kneeling on the floor. Knocking on the door as she passed it, Kagome stepped in.

            "Hey, InuYasha…" She began, but stopped as she watched him. There were marbles scattered all over the floor around him. Kagome's eyes widened in awe as she stared at the multicolored bits.

            InuYasha looked up, staring blankly at her with his amber orbs. Kagome was dumbstruck, and he seemed to be speechless.

            "Waddayouwant?" The question came out quickly as he looked away, gathering up the marbles and beginning to place them into one of the many small, velvet bags that lay amidst them.

            "I… I wanted to see if you were going to breakfast…" She stuttered, finally deciding to bend down and help him to clean up the mess. She grabbed a bag, loosening the top, and began to gently place in marbles one at a time.

            "Already went," He muttered. Finished gathering all of the marbles closest to him, he moved to take the ones near Kagome.

            Kagome looked quietly at every marble she placed in the bag, admiring how different and beautiful each one was. Her eyes caught something glimmer on the floor. Moving carefully, so as not to slip on any marbles, she picked the shimmering object off the floor.

            "Beautiful…" Kagome breathed, turning it around. Pink and shimmering, the object before her looked like a broken marble. Just as she was bringing the item closer to her face in order to get an even better look at it, InuYasha snatched it out of her hands, tossing it into the bag he held.

            "Come on, let's go to breakfast," He said quietly, pulling the drawstring on the bag and placing it on the bed.

            "But I thought…" Kagome began, but InuYasha cut her off quickly, steering her out of the room.

            "I'm hungry again. Can we just go eat?"

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            The man with the tendrils of dark hair flowing down his back stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened as his lips moved but no sound came out. Had it been a dream? But he was awake. It had been… a vision.

            "It's there," He whispered.

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Extra Author's Note: Whew… Longest chapter I've ever written for this story. Gosh, it's 1:00 AM already?? Well, how about everyone thanks the great Foxterr for staying up late in order to write this for you by… REVIEWING! Thanks everyone! You're all great and I wish you a happy day!


	7. Sessions

Author's Note: I'M SO SORRY!!! I've been so busy with school and homework that I haven't had time to write anything! It gave me a lot of time to think about different plot twists though, so it was kind of a good thing too. I hope that some of you are still reading. I apologize again! I made this chapter about the length of two of my normal chapters to make up for it. I hope that it does! Thanks so much for reading, and PLEASE review!! _Note: All italicized print is a flashback._

Disclaimer: Even after all that time, I still don't own InuYasha.

My Will Chapter 7: Sessions 

A week can go by excruciatingly slowly when one does nothing, so Kagome found. Once again, she sat in Miroku's office, glaring angrily at the globe in the corner. How she had grown to hate that globe… Her own reflection on the shiny surface seemed to sneer at her as she stared at it.

            "So tell me again," Miroku tried in vain to get something more out of Kagome. The week had been more or less productive, but it all seemed to end up at the same point.

            "I told you," Kagome muttered, "He talks to me."

            Miroku sighed, folding his hands on his desk and staring at the back of Kagome's head with his ever-concerned eyes, as if trying to probe her brain for more details. "What happens when 'he' speaks to you?"

            Kagome flinched as she heard the tone in which he spoke. It was obvious that the psychiatrist didn't believe her, painfully obvious. "I get horrible headaches," She replied, turning to face him for a change.

            "And what else?"

            Kagome shifted uncomfortably. In the past week, she had refused to tell him more than the fact that she heard voices. But it was time to give in, she knew, or she'd never get out of here, "I hear his voice in my head. Normally he just says hello, but sometimes… sometimes I feel like he wants me to do something for him."

            Miroku looked Kagome's face over intently, and then turned to take some notes onto his clipboard. "Okay," He mused for a moment, staring off into space with the end of his pen in his mouth. "Anything else?"

            "I…" Kagome hesitated, opting to turn her head towards the globe again instead of looking him in the face, "I have dreams… awful dreams. He's always killing people in them. He's looking for something, but I don't know what."

            Miroku nodded, writing down more notes. Kagome turned towards him once more, a frown set on her face.

            "Cheer up, Kagome. I think that'll be all for today, don't you agree? You've talked a lot." He said cheerfully, taking her papers off of his clipboard and filing them away into one of the many large, wooden cabinets set up along the side of his room.

            "Yeah… okay," She sighed, standing up. With a wave of goodbye, Kagome walked to the door, forcing her gaze away from the globe.

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            "InuYasha?" Kagome called to him, drawing his mind back to reality. She lay on her back, sprawled on his bed, as he sat on the floor with his marbles. She tucked her arms underneath her head, watching the dust particles float through the air as the sunlight beamed in through the small window.

            "Eh?" He answered, not bothering to look up at her.

            Kagome swallowed hard. Forcing her nerves to settle, she asked the question that had been nagging at her for the past week, "I know that you told me never to ask anyone here… but, I need to know. Why are you here?"

            Holding her breath in anticipation, Kagome listened as InuYasha shifted next to her. She turned her head in his direction, only to find his face mere inches from hers. She drew in a rather loud, shaky breath then, her eyes wide.

            "I told you not to ask that," He growled, eyes narrowing at her, his face getting slightly closer. Kagome felt a sweeping motion in her stomach as her hands began to tingle. Emotions ran haywire until she could barely think… barely breath.

            And then he pulled away with a snort of annoyance. Kagome, finally remembering to breath again, gasped and sat up.

            "I'm going to…to lunch," She mumbled, slipping slowly off the bed. She heard InuYasha mutter something inaudible to her ears as she walked quickly out of the room.

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            "So you had another session with Miroku?" Sango asked, an odd look upon her face. Kagome nodded, poking her 'beef surprise' with her fork, eyes downcast. Her thoughts still lingered to InuYasha. His face so close to hers…

            "Kagome?" Sango moved her head to catch the troubled girl's gaze.

            "Hn?" Kagome looked up finally, her eyes questioning.

            Sango continued, "I was wondering how it went. Personally, I really dread going to that man's office…" She grimaced, "He's such a pervert."

            Kagome raised her eyebrows. It was nearly impossible for her to think of Miroku as anything other than a gentle psychiatrist. "Really?" She asked, leaning forward against the table, "He seems alright to me. The session went okay. I keep telling him though; the voice is really there… I mean, I'm not just hearing things. He's actually talking to me." 

            Sango looked thoroughly creeped out by this statement, and Kagome suddenly wished that she hadn't said anything. Sango didn't know the reason that Kagome was there. It seemed to be an unwritten rule to keep these things private. Or at least, that's what InuYasha had told her.

            Kagome looked back down towards her plate, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. "Sorry if I startled you," She whispered, using her fork to break up the meat, "I—"

            "No, it's okay," Sango said, placing a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder, "We're all here for a reason. You seem like a wonderful person to me, regardless of what they say," She jerked her head towards a table full of the doctors who were stuffing their faces with slightly better food than what Kagome found in front of her.

            "So then… If I may ask, why are you here, Sango?" Kagome questioned. She immediately wanted to kick herself afterwards. There she was letting words tumble out again!

            It was Sango's turn to look towards the table. Kagome saw the girl give a faint shudder before she began to whisper her story; "My brother was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago. It was pretty bad, and they weren't sure if they could save him. After six months of torture and pain, he died in the hospital, waiting for a bone marrow donor," She took in a long, shuddering breath, "I suppose that that's when I lost it… I just felt so guilty, like it was all my fault," Kagome saw a single tear run down the girl's cheek, "Because they later found out that I was a perfect match for the transplant…"

            Sango broke down sobbing then. Kagome suddenly felt horrible for asking such a question. Quickly, she got up for her chair and rushed around the table to embrace the sobbing girl, making soft cooing noises.

            "Shhh… it's okay… It wasn't you fault, you had no idea… no one did," She whispered, hoping to calm the girl down.

            "I miss him," She sobbed, her immense pain evident with every shuddering breath she took, "I tried to kill myself after that… I thought that I could go with him. I miss him so much. I miss Kohaku…"

            Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes as well. She could never relate to the pain that Sango felt, but she could imagine it. How horrible it must have been to loose her brother, and then to find out that she was the only one that could have saved him?

            All she could do was sit there and embrace Sango, but she knew it would never take away the pain.

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            Kagome walked down the hall towards her bedroom, about to get ready for bed. She was just coming from the game room, after spending a long night there playing games with Sango to cheer her up. InuYasha had come and joined them at one point, challenging Kagome to a game of billiards.

            She sighed. Her skin still tingled on her arm slightly…

            _"I could beat you at this so easily," InuYasha scoffed, grabbing a pool stick and rubbing the tip into the square of blue chalk._

_            "We'll see…" Kagome laughed, carefully choosing her own stick, "You break, okay? I'm horrible at that."_

_            InuYasha shrugged, walking to the end of the table. Kagome watched as the muscles in his arms rippled as he smoothly drew back the stick, and hit the white ball. It was a perfect break._

_            "Wow…" Kagome gasped, watching as the balls rolled past the end of the table that she stood near._

_            InuYasha shrugged, "It was nothing…"_

_            Kagome made her way around the table then, carefully studying the position of each ball. If she was to get one in, she had to line it up perfectly. After shooting and missing three times in a row, InuYasha finally rolled his eyes and walked up to her._

_            "Look, this is how you do it!" He came up behind her, gently placing her hands on the correct parts of the stick. Kagome's skin tingled where his hands touched the bare skin of her arms, and she felt her heartbeat speed up ever so slightly. It was almost as if time had stopped between them._

_            But all too soon, InuYasha pulled away, leaving her lined up and in position for a perfect shot. She had missed it, of course._

_            InuYasha rolled his eyes again, "You're hopeless!" Kagome normally would have giggled, or stuck her tongue out at him. But she found it hard to move from the position he had set her in. Sango finally had to nudge the girl to get her to back away from the table while InuYasha made his shot._

_            "Are you okay?" Sango had asked while watching the boy line up the balls expertly._

_            Kagome nodded, "Yeah… I'm fine…"_

            Kagome self-consciously rubbed her arms as she felt Goosebumps rising. She turned into her room, not even bothering to change out of the black T-shirt, and navy skirt she had on. She flopped onto her bed; the sharp sound of the bed springs assaulting her ears.

            Could it be that she liked InuYasha as more than a friend? That spark, that strange tingle and stomach turn, that she felt every time he was oddly close, or touching her did not seem normal between just friends. She dimly wondered if he had any feelings for her. Most likely not… InuYasha was a distant person, preferring to keep to himself; unless of course, he was drugged up on something that the doctors had given him. Which explained the strange day that Kagome had met him.

            With a snort of annoyance, Kagome turned over onto her side, falling into one of the first dreamless sleep she had had in more than a week.

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            "InuYasha, you should really eat the food that the cafeteria provides. I know that it looks awful, but if you give it time—" The beautiful, dark haired nurse stopped her sentence as she watched InuYasha begin to consume the ramen. She couldn't help but smile at him. He was such a child sometimes… It was sweet.

            "Thanks, Kikyo," He managed to choke out in between mouthfuls, "I was really hungry."

            "I see that," She replied, her smile growing wider. She sat down on the bed next to him as he finished the cup, throwing the empty container into the wastebasket next to his nightstand.

            "How are your sessions going?" She asked.

            "Same as always," He shrugged. He began to twiddle with his thumbs staring into his lap. "Kikyo?" He finally asked. The nurse silently gasped as his amber eyes stared into hers. "I was wondering… You and I have been good friends for a long time now. Probably ever since I've been here. I wanted to know… Do you like me as more than just a friend?"

            Kikyo smiled warmly at him, placing her hand in his, "InuYasha, you know very well that I cannot allow any romance to blossom between patient and staff. It's forbidden…"

            InuYasha frowned, looking down at his lap, "Could you think about it?" He asked in a last attempt, "Please?"

            Kikyo continued to smile at him, nodding her head. It was so sweet…

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            Naraku paced as he always found himself doing while he pondered on something. How was he to get the jewel? First of all, had it been truly the other half of the jewel, or just another broken marble? Questions began to jumble together as more and more popped up. He had no real control over that girl yet, so it would be a long while before she could actually take the object for him.

            Stopping in his tracks, Naraku let out a deep chuckle. It was so obvious, how could he have missed it? He would simply go to that hospital and see for himself.

            Pulling his newly sharpened pocketknife from his pocket, Naraku unleashed it, admiring the shine. He had stolen it just yesterday, and he had high hopes for it. Perhaps he would get lucky, and someone would get in his way at this hospital. But only if he got really lucky…

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Extra Author's Note: Hope that you liked it! If you're still reading this, please let me know by reviewing! Thank you! Much love peoplies!


	8. Cookies Before Lunch

Author's Note: WOW! I got quite a few reviews for the last chapter! I decided that I should update ASAP. So here it is! Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed!!! You guys are great!! I felt that I should comment on a few reviews that I received, so here they are:

**Chibi-luv-** Thanks for reviewing! And don't worry; every question that you asked will be answered in time. I promise! (^_~)  Thank you so much for reading my stories! I'm honored that you'd call me your favorite author.

**ASTY-** Wow… strong feelings going on there! Lol. You'll see what happens…

**Shedemon of the squirrels-** Thank you for your input. I've read quite a few reviews that comment on my demand for reviews. Some commend me for my boldness, and others dislike it. I liked your review though. You put it in a way that made me understand that I was wrong for demanding like that. I promise you that I would never stop writing just because I wasn't getting enough reviews, though I do threaten it. Thank you!

My Will Chapter 8: Cookies Before Lunch 

"Miroku, Miss Higurashi is here for her—" The red haired nurse stopped abruptly in the doorway to the psychiatrist's office, her face turning a deep red color to match her freckles. Miroku, however, did not seem to notice. His attention happened to be on another nurse… who conveniently seemed to be in his lap.

            The nurse turned an even deeper shade of red as she loudly cleared her throat to get the man's attention. The nurse in his lap jumped at the sound, leaping to her feet.

            "Uh… where did you say those files where, Miroku?" She asked, staring at the floor with her hands clasped behind her back.

            Miroku got the hint, nodding as he answered her, "In the third cabinet to your left, Miss Kayami." He looked up to find the red haired spoiler-of-all-fun, standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed, and she tapped her foot in an angry sort of manner.

            "Miroku, you have a patient that I hope you haven't forgotten about," She said darkly, her green eyes narrowing at him. The blush had left her cheeks, as her anger surfaced.

            "Uh, yes. Sorry about that. Send her right in." He looked away from her, staring at the disarray of papers on his desk.

            The red haired nurse ushered Kagome in, seeing her to her seat quickly. Green eyes ablaze, she roughly grabbed Miss Kayami's arm, dragging her out of the office.

            Miroku watched the two leave, flinching as the oak door slammed behind them. Clearing his throat, he turned to Kagome. "Ah, yes Miss Higurashi…" He muttered, sifting through the papers on his desk before he found hers at the bottom, "How have you been doing in the past few days?" He clipped her papers to his clipboard, pulling out a pen.

            Kagome's face was a deep shade of red. She had seen the entire thing as she had peered over the short nurse's head. Now she understood Sango's feelings about this man. "Fine," She answered stiffly, refusing to look him in the eyes. Her trust in him had gone.

            Miroku sighed deeply. For a moment, he cursed his wandering emotions, as well as his wandering hands. This would be another patient set back by his ignorant, and teenage like behavior. "Forgive me, Miss Higurashi," He hung his head, "I may have a slight problem when it comes to keeping my emotions in check," He cleared his throat, "But it is of the utmost importance that you continue trusting me…"

            Kagome turned towards the globe in the corner, refusing to speak with him at all. Miroku sighed again, putting the clipboard and pen down on his desk.

            "Let's be friends," He said, "I know it sounds stupid, but… let's be friends. I admit that I am not perfect, as you are not either. Friends trust each other. So tell me exactly what's on your mind."

            Kagome thought about this for a moment. His little speech wasn't even close to convincing. In fact, it made her want to throw something at him. But she was well aware that if she didn't talk to this man, then she would never be let out. Taking a deep breath, Kagome said the first thing on her mind:

            "I'm really, _really_ hungry..."

            Miroku smiled, bending down to get to the drawers under his desk. After some shuffling, he reappeared, a blue bag in hand. Swiftly, he plucked out a chocolate chip cookie and held it out to her.

            "Peace offering?"

            Kagome sighed. She was going to get fat if she kept eating all of these cookies he was offering. Though, she took it nonetheless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "InuYasha, aren't you coming to dinner with us?" Sango asked. She stood at the doorway to his room, leaning up against it with her arms crossed. The casual green dress she wore came down just past her knees, Kagome noted. She eyed her own blue dress thoughtfully, fingering the seam that came to just above her mid-thy. As a draft blew in from somewhere, the girl began to wonder why she only seemed to own short skirts.

            "No. I'm gonna stay here," Came the rough reply from the bed, causing Kagome to pay attention once more. Next to her, Sango shrugged, "Suit yourself." With that she turned and began to walk towards the elevator. Kagome waved quickly to InuYasha before following.

            "It seems that all I do here is eat and sleep," Kagome mused. Sango slowed her pace to match the other girl's as they walked.

            "Don't forget your sessions," Sango smiled, looking up cheerfully, "I didn't have one today. Luckily it was cancelled due to a meeting Miroku had to. Something about his 'more than friendly' treatment of the nurses," She rolled her eyes. Kagome noticed the girl's pace quicken slightly as if she were irritated.

            "Are you okay?" Kagome asked, speeding up, "You seem… edgy." 

            Sango flushed slightly under Kagome's gaze, her shoulders suddenly stiffening, "I'm fine. I could care less about that jerk!" And with that, she pushed the button in the elevator slightly harder than necessary.

            Kagome smiled, shaking her head.

            It wasn't long before they reached the cafeteria. Kagome took in a deep breath, filling her nostrils with the familiar scents around her. It was the smell of cleaning products, with the strong scent of… Kagome sighed. It was macaroni and cheese. The monkeys in the kitchens couldn't even seem to get that right.

            Even though it was a cafeteria, it was always strangely quiet. Only every once in a while did someone yell or talk loudly, and that just meant that they were having a break down of some sort. Someone being dragged out of the place kicking and screaming was not an uncommon sight.

            Kagome sat down with her lunch across from Sango in one of the few round tables near the barred windows. The windows were high, allowing little light in, but the florescent light strips on the ceiling more than made up for it.

            "Sango?" Kagome asked, after eating in silence for quite some time, "I wanted to ask you something."

            "Go ahead, Kagome," The girl replied, putting down her fork. Suddenly, Kagome felt foolish for asking such a thing. She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks as she asked, "How can you tell if someone likes you?"

            Sango's eyes widened slightly at the question. She obviously had not been expecting that. After a few moments of deliberation in which she took up her fork and picked up a piece of broccoli, she answered, "I suppose if they want to be with you. I mean, if they make an effort to talk to you and be with you whenever possible. If they're always staring straight into your eyes when your talking to them; things like that. Does that help?"

            Kagome nodded awkwardly, smiling slightly, "Yeah. Thanks, Sango." She continued to eat as her mind began to pick apart what the girl had just said. InuYasha did not make an effort to talk to her… but then again, the silence always seemed to be comfortable when she was with him. He didn't make an effort to be around her, though, and he rarely looked into her eyes unless he was angry with her. But every time he did… She sighed dreamily at the mere thought. It always took her breath away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome made up her mind to tell InuYasha how she felt. She would do it after dinner. No doubt that he'd still be in that room of his, brooding away on that squeaky bed. She let out a shaky breath, her nerves rising.

            Reaching his room, Kagome knocked lightly on the frame of the open door, peering inside. The bed sheets lay neatly folded, save for the imprint of a tall teenage boy in the center. The actual boy, however, was missing.

            Kagome felt her stomach drop. How disappointing! She would find him though, even if it took all night.

            With a determined look on her face, Kagome turned towards the opposite hallway. Walking quickly, she sought to find the game room. Perhaps he was playing billiards again?

            Turning the corner, Kagome halted, her loose hair flying about her face. She looked on in dismay at the scene before her, feeling as though her heart was shattering inside her chest at that very moment.

            InuYasha stood in the middle of the hallway, bending over to kiss the lips of a certain black haired nurse…

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Extra Author's Note: You know what I'm going to say… Please review! 

                           -- ---- Where are you going? The button's over there!!! ------


	9. Loosing

Author's Note: I've finally updated! YAY! Okay, here's another chapter. Slightly longer than usual. Not much to say, except. Please review and ENJOY!

Disclaimer: InuYasha isn't mine and never will be… sigh

My Will

Chapter 9: Loosing

Kagome felt her chest clench with an indescribable pain as she stared. She felt tears come to her eyes, but found that she was unable to blink them away. That familiar burning sensation came up in her throat, and her head began to ache.

            The young girl felt as though her legs could no longer support her own weight, but she forced them to move for her. She slowly turned around and ducked back behind the corner. It was then that her legs gave out. Kagome fell back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. She could feel her senses ebbing away as she struggled to think. But her mind swam from the horrible headache. Her vision became blurred.

It was suddenly hard to breath…

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            "I'm telling you, Shippo, no more wandering around the halls! One day, a doctor's going to catch you instead of me!" Sango walked briskly as she led the boy back to his room, clutching tightly to his wrist.

            "But, Sango! Rin and I were just about to play darts!" The boy protested, pulling on the side of her green dress.

            Sango shook her head, "You know you aren't supposed to play with the darts! You'll loose an eye!" She continued to pull him down the hallway, ignoring the red headed boy's protests. 

It was sad really… The boy had gone postal after loosing his father, and had begun to develop imaginary friends, refusing to play with actual children his age. Sango knew that she was one of the only people in the hospital that had managed to make a connection of any kind with the boy.

"Oh my…" Sango stopped abruptly, causing Shippo to run into her. He let out a little yelp of protest before the girl wheeled around and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. She gently pushed the boy back behind the corner.

            "Stay here. Please don't move," She pleaded, looking him straight in the eyes. Shippo looked away, nodding sullenly. This wasn't the first time that Sango had tried to protect him from seeing something at the hospital.

            Sango turned back down the hallway, rushing back towards the body laying curled up against the wall.

            "Kagome?" She spoke, trying to keep her voice calm and steady so as not to frighten the girl if and when she woke up. But there was not so much as a stir from the lifeless body. Sango felt her breath quicken as she began to panic.

            "Help!" She yelled standing up and running to the hallway opposite from the one that she had set Shippo. "Help! This girl isn't breathing!"

            Miroku's head appeared from one of the doorways. Sango let out a sigh of relief as she ran towards him, "Miroku, She needs help…"

            He nodded wordlessly following her back down the empty hallway. Once they turned the corner, he ran to the body's side.

            "How long has she been out?" He asked, gently pulling Kagome away from the wall and laying her onto her back.

            "I don't know, I just found her like this," Sango answered, standing away from the doctor. She felt fear building up in her stomach as she watched Miroku check her friend. She could tell by his movements that he was baffled.

            "She's not breathing," He stated, clasping his thumb and forefinger over the girl's nose as he prepared to revive her.

            "I told you that already…" Sango mumbled as she knelt down beside him to take Kagome's hand in hers. "She's cold…" She murmured.

            Miroku didn't answer. Swiftly, her brought his mouth down to Kagome's, breathing life back into her body. Sango watched the girl's chest slowly rise and swiftly fall. She leaned up against the wall as she squeezed Kagome's hand. 

_Come on…_

It was another thirty seconds or so of Miroku's steady breathing before Kagome's chest finally seized in it's own shuddering breath. The psychiatrist sat back, allowing the girl some breathing room as she came to. 

            "You did it," Sango whispered joyfully as she leaned closer to the coughing girl, patting her hand soothingly.

            "Of course I did it," Miroku answered arrogantly as he stood up.

            "Where are you going?' Sango asked, looking up at him worriedly, "What if she passes out again?"

            Miroku shook his head; "I need to go get one of the doctor's on staff tonight. I'm a psychiatrist. Performing resuscitation is basically all I can do for her unless she needs some other kind of basic first aid…"

            Sango nodded, turning away from him as he began to jog down the hall, "Oh!" She heard him yelp as he stopped at the corner. "Shippo? What are you doing here?" 

            Sango called to him, knowing well that the boy would not answer Miroku, "Shippo! You can come over here now! It's alright!"

            Miroku shrugged and continued his journey to the nurse's station. Shippo peaked his head around the corner before warily making his way toward the two girls. He walked close to the wall, keeping an eye on the fallen girl, until he was standing behind Sango.

            "Is she gonna be alright?" He asked, twisting his small fingers together.

            Sango looked at her friend lying on the floor, breathing deeply. She turned her head to gaze at the boy, giving him a reassuring smile, "I think she's gonna be alright."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

            The shadow man walked silently towards the tall building, crouched low.  His long black hair tumbled about his shoulders in waves, framing his hidden face. In his hand he held a knife, raised slightly against anyone who dare block his path. It glinted in the faint moonlight, flashing like a star.

            He came around the side of the building, becoming one with the shadows in the alleyway. An emergency exit from the building opened up to him. He shrank back from the light, fearing it. A girl stepped toward him, her raven hair that hung loosely about her shoulders blowing gently in the cool night air. Her brown eyes held nothing, a blank expression on her face. Quickly, the shadow man darted inside, closing the door behind him, and leaving no trace of his presence in the alley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome gasped as she awoke, opening her eyes to darkness. She could feel sweat dampening her skin, causing her clothes to cling to her body. Blindly she reached out for the lamp on her nightstand, turning it on with a loud click.

            Her breath coming in short gasps; Kagome lay still for a few moments, trying to regain her senses. But for some strange reason her mind remained hazy, her thoughts remained uncollected. There was only one thing that rang clear in her mind

She had opened that door.

            Suddenly, a headache seized her. The pain seemed to trickle to every nerve in her body, until it felt as though her limbs were on fire. After a few moments of the intense pain, she felt her conscious retreat to the back of her mind. 

            "Hello Kagome."

            She wanted to scream, to thrash around and yell, but she no longer had control over her own body.

            "Leave me alone!" Her mind cried out to the bodiless voice.

            "Now, now. You'll do best to listen to me this time. That or I'll try to kill you again."

            Kagome heard her body's breathing cease, and fear overtook her. "NO!" She cried, "I'll do what you want!"

            She heard the voice chuckle.

            "Of course you will."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

            InuYasha lay on his bed, his arms underneath his head. He stared at the white ceiling, musing as usual. Thoughts of Kikyo and the kiss they had shared not a few hours ago floated through his drowsy mind.

            Footsteps coming from the hallway stirred him fully awake. It was nearly midnight; no one was permitted to walk the halls this late. Narrowing his eyes, InuYasha sat up in his bed, glaring at the open doorway.

            A shadowy figure appeared just outside the door. It was hard to make out just who it was by the shape, and InuYasha squinted to try and see. He let out a sigh of relief when Kagome stepped into the light.

            "Hey," He said, lounging back on the bed, "What're you doing up so late?"

            She said nothing, but stood there and stared at him with a peculiar blank look on her face. InuYasha sat up again, staring back.

            "Are you okay?" He asked, getting up from the bed and walking over to her.

            When he was only a foot or so away, Kagome launched herself at him. The sudden impact of her body coming full force into his, sent InuYasha sprawling on the bed. He felt her fingers at his throat, clawing near his jugular before they wrapped themselves around.

            "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" He choked out, prying her small fingers off of his neck and tossing her off the bed. She landed in a crumpled heap, and did not get back up. InuYasha sat on the bed for a moment, collecting his wits as well as his breath. Slowly, he looked over the side to see her.

            She was curled up in a ball, shaking with silent sobs on the cold, tile floor. InuYasha slipped off the bed, a concerned look on his face.

            "Kagome…" He whispered, tapping her shoulder lightly. Suddenly, she leapt up. InuYasha flinched, expecting the worst. But instead, she wrapped her arms around him and began to sob into his shoulder.

            "InuYasha… I don't know what happened…" She cried, holding him tightly.

            The boy's heart went out to her. Softly trying to hush the young girl, he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her close to him.

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Extra Author's Note: Confused? Ask any questions in your review, or send me a question in an email and I'll be happy to answer them! (Unless of course they will be answered later in the story.) Now go on, click that happy little button!


	10. One Day

Author's Note: Forgive me… Updating becomes harder and harder as classes become harder and homework becomes more frequent. To tell the truth, my interest in this story in waning, which you will probably be able to tell by the quality of this chapter. I did what I could, but it's late and I'm tired as anything. If I decided to continue with this story, I'll need some help! Email me your suggestions, if there's anyone left reading this that is. Thanx, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Never will never have.

My Will

Chapter 10: One Day

Kagome squinted her eyes against the bright rays of sunlight coming in through the small window above her bed. The soft patter of shoes on the tile alerted her to the fact that someone was in the room. Most likely it was just a nurse making the early morning rounds. Kagome figured that she had plenty of time to sleep before the cafeteria stopped serving breakfast. She turned over with a grunt and pulled the covers over her head.

"Miss Higurashi, if you want some breakfast, you should wake up now. It's already 11:45," The level voice floated through the thick comforter, muffled only slightly. Kagome sat up in a flash, her back hair in a tangled mess.

"It can't be that late…" She whispered, her eyes finding the nurse standing in the corner. She had already figured out that it was Kikyo by the even toned voice. She had never realized how… beautiful the nurse was. Her black hair shiny and straight, every curve of her body perfect. Kagome suddenly found herself comparing her own body to the woman's.

Kikyo seemed to sense that the girl was staring at her. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she turned, "Can I do anything for you?" She asked, her voice taking on a dangerous tone.

Kagome licked her dry lips, her eyes shifting to gaze at the floor instead of the woman's angry glare. "No… I'm okay, thanks," She mumbled, throwing the covers off of herself and sliding off the bed. It was no use comparing herself to this woman. Although they looked alike in some ways, she was obviously no match when it came to beauty. After all… InuYasha had chosen Kikyo, not her. 

"Hurry up or you'll miss it," Kikyo said as she quickly walked out of the room.

Kagome sighed and grabbed her brush to get out the tangles in her hair. As she went through the memories of the day before, and how she had found InuYasha and Kikyo in the hallway, she realized that there was a large chunk of her memory missing. Something had happened last night… There were flashes of strange images before her eyes, but she couldn't remember what exactly had taken place. The only facts that she could distinctly remember were; opening the back door of the hospital, and… crying in InuYasha's arms.

Kagome placed her brush back down gently on the dresser. Slipping on her slippers, she left the room her room. She had no idea that it would be the last time that she'd ever see it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"There she is," Sango sighed, elbowing Shippo, "See? I told you she would be okay."

Shippo smiled and nodded, returning to his omelet without a word. Sango smiled and rubbed his fire red hair, "Shippo, if you're ever going to get out of here, you'll have to learn how to talk in front of people." The boy simply nodded.

"Hey, Kagome!" Sango turned to face the girl, "Sleep well?"

"A little too well," Kagome answered sitting down heavily on the chair across from her friend. "I have no idea what happened last night… It's a total blank after I remember waking up for a second after I passed out in the hallway." The girl shrugged, "I must have just slept all night," Kagome noticed the young boy next to Sango, "And who's this?" She asked, smiling at the cute little boy across from her.

"This is Shippo," Sango placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, "Do you want to say hello?" She asked gently.

Shippo looked up with a slight nod. "Hi." His voice was very soft, and Kagome could barely hear him. She answered with a cheerful hello all the same, though.

After getting breakfast right before the line shut down, Kagome picked up her fork, twirling it thoughtfully. "Was InuYasha here?" She finally asked Sango.

The girl nodded, "He came and ate his ramen about an hour ago and then took off. He seemed a little… stranger than usual. He kept staring at the door, as if waiting for someone to walk in. After he ate… he just left. I'm a little concerned for him."

Kagome nodded, wondering what could have been bothering him.

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It was about two o clock in the morning when InuYasha woke up on the floor in his room, his arms aching and begging to be stretched. It was no wonder, since Kagome happened to be sound asleep in his arms. He went still, barely breathing so as not to wake her. It took a few moments for his mind to remember what had happened that evening.

Kagome had tried to kill him. He remembered the far away look in her eyes, as if her mind wasn't even present at all. He also recalled how heartrending she had looked as tears steamed down her face. The poor thing had no idea what was going on, and neither did he.

He watched the gentle rise and fall of her back as she slept so peacefully. Carefully, he lifted her up, taking her back to her room and placing her gently on top of the bed. It was cold in her room, so he carefully pulled the covers up around her sleeping form, and left without a sound.

Later that morning, at around ten o clock, InuYasha had rushed down to breakfast, in hopes of seeing Kagome there to confirm that she was still all right. However, she hadn't been there. Staring at the doorway, he expected her to appear at any moment, a bright smile on her face and her brown eyes sparkling. 

After Kagome did not show up, InuYasha rushed down to her room, hoping that she hadn't done anything to herself or to anyone else during the night.

To his immense relief, he found her sleeping soundly in her bed. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the doorway and stared at her, as if willing her to wake up so that they could talk.

It was then that InuYasha had felt someone tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he found Kikyo glaring at him, her eyes flashing.

"I saw you two last night."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"But Kikyo, she needed someone to be there for her! I was trying to help!"

"She tried to kill you, InuYasha." Kikyo answered him, her voice as even as ever, but with an underlying danger to it.

"But… She wasn't in her right mind!" InuYasha tried desperately to protect the girl.

"Which is why she is here, and why I have to tell one of the doctors about this." Kikyo began to turn towards the doorway, but hesitated and faced the boy once more, "Why are you protecting her? Have you developed feelings for this girl, InuYasha? Do not forget that you told me that you loved me, and that I returned those feelings yesterday when I kissed you."

InuYasha shook his head, "I'll never forget that, Kikyo… But I explained to you that she needed comfort, and I was there. And I don't care what she did; I don't want to see someone as kind hearted as Kagome shoved into a padded room."

Kikyo nodded, "Then at least convince her to tell Miroku about it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome finally found InuYasha in his room late that night. Stepping in with a smile on her face, she greeted him with an amiable hello.

"Hey," He answered back, sitting up from his bed.

"Where have you been all day? I looked everywhere for you." Kagome stated, walking over and sitting on his bed.

After a few moments of silence, Kagome gave up on an answer and sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of people walking down the hallway and excited chatter from upstairs. InuYasha watched her intently. It was strange… but he could have sworn that he saw her shuddering, but then her body went still.

"I didn't tell anyone," InuYasha broke the silence.

"I noticed," Kagome answered, "No one came to get me." With that, she got off the bed, heading for the door.

"I'm really sorry, InuYasha. I don't think I'll ever know what came over me…" She then walked off down the hallway, leaving InuYasha both confused and worried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Kagome opened her eyes, she found darkness and confusion. Hadn't she been in InuYasha's room just a moment before? Wherever she was, the ground was cold against her back. Slowly, she stood up, groping the damp walls for some sort of light switch or a sign as to where she might be.

Her fingers found something cold and sticky running down the walls. Slightly disgusted, she wrinkled her nose as she continued her blind search. It wasn't long before she found a switch, quickly flipping it on. Kagome squinted her eyes, shielding them from the brightness. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked upon the room.

Blood. It was splattered all over the walls. A giant crimson puddle continued to spread on the floor in front of her. In the center, a body lay. Long, black hair spread across the floor and matted with the red liquid, white uniform stained in the stuff.

Kagome backed away, her eyes wide. Holding her hands up to her face, she saw that, they too, were covered in blood, as well as her nightshirt. As she continued to back away, she felt her bare foot touch something. Looking down, Kagome saw the knife. It finally dawned on her exactly what had happened in this room.

As she screamed, one name kept ringing over and over in her head:

_Kikyo…_

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Extra Author's Note: Review! Show me that you're still interested! And if you would like to, email me with suggestions. Thanx!


	11. The Top Floor

Author's Note: Well, after some thinking about this chapter, I realized that I still want to continue with this story. I love it, and have since I began it… So I'm going to continue. Please bear with me on the updates, though. I don't have much spare time. This story, I believe, is going to be my longest one yet. It's the Eleventh chapter already. Wow… Of course, I could wrap in up in only a few more chapters, but where's the fun in that? Okay, on with the next one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I would if I could. I could if I would, but I can't so I won't.

My Will

Chapter 11: The Top Floor

"I haven't seen Kagome all day," Sango commented, peeking her head into InuYasha's room, "Have you seen her?"

            InuYasha looked up from the broken, pink marble he twirled between his fingers. He raised curious amber eyes to Sango's face, tucking the item into a pocket of his jeans. "I haven't seen her either. She hasn't been in her room all day."

            Sango sighed, stepping into the room and leaning against the doorway, "Odd… She never skips lunch, especially when she misses breakfast like she did this morning. She hasn't been in the cafeteria all day… Or the game room."

            "Or anywhere," InuYasha added, standing up and walking towards the door.

            The two began to make their way down the hall towards the elevator, InuYasha's gaze flitting towards Kagome's room on the way. He heaved a sigh as they passed, fingering the broken pink marble in his pocket.

            "I'm worried," Sango confessed as they stepped into the elevator. She lightly pushed the main floor button, and the doors slid closed. "People around here don't just turn up missing like that… If she had left, she would have said something, don't you think?"

            InuYasha shrugged. He didn't know what to think just then. His mind clouded with worry. He knew just as well as Sango how strange Kagome's disappearance was. But unlike Sango, he also noticed the odd behavior of the nurses. In the morning, no one had come to leave clean sheets in his closet, or to take the dirty clothes from the hamper. The few that he did see had seemed distant and troubled.

            "Did Kagome say anything to you about what happened the night before?" InuYasha asked, turning towards Sango, catching her eyes with his.

            "Well… She did mention that she had woken up in her room shortly after she passed out in the hallway." Sango stared intently at the glowing button on the elevator, "But she didn't mention anything else."

            "She passed out in the hallway?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow at the woman.

            Sango stared up at him in alarm, "You didn't know?"

            The elevator doors opened then, revealing a nurse and two patients who had been waiting for it.

            "Take the next one!" InuYasha called to them, pushing the door close button and then hitting the one for the top floor. "What happened to her?" He demanded.

            Sango backed away a bit, but her eyes held defiance, "Don't snap at me," She growled at him.

            "Fine… Just tell me."

            Sango glared, but began to speak, "Well, I found her unconscious in the middle of the hallway the day before last. She wasn't breathing, but Miroku revived her. I don't think he ever figured out just what had happened…"

            InuYasha's eyes widened, "But she didn't say anything about later that night? Nothing about trying to kill me?"

            "Trying to kill you?!" Sango screeched in alarm, "She said that she couldn't remember anything from that night after she had passed out!"

            The woman watched a look of dawning come over InuYasha's face. As memories passed before his eyes, he realized that there was something terribly wrong.

            _"I'm really sorry, InuYasha. I don't think I'll ever know what came over me…"_

            "But if she doesn't remember… then that wasn't her talking to me…" InuYasha mumbled more to himself than to Sango.

            Sango stared at him, a little frightened, before realizing that she should have told him something, "InuYasha… Kagome told me that she heard voices. That was why she was here."

            InuYasha turned to look at her, just as the elevator doors opened once more. They were on the special security floor. Also known by the patients downstairs as, 'The Padded Rooms.' This was the place where all of the destructively insane patients went; the ones that had committed a murder, or tried to commit suicide.  

            In the middle of the hallway, a commotion was growing. Doctors stood all around a single doorway, trying to grab onto a shrieking woman in a straight jacket. InuYasha couldn't get a good look at her, due to the doctors standing in the way, but there was something vaguely familiar about that voice.

            Suddenly, the girl broke free of the gripping hands, and darted towards the elevator. In that moment, InuYasha recognized her in an instant. Although her black hair was matted with dried blood, and her face was red from sobbing, he knew it was Kagome.

            "Kagome!" Sango called out from behind him, waving her arms in the air and holding the elevator door open. Dumbstruck, he simply stared in disbelief as the girl he once knew stopped in her tracks the moment she saw her friends.

            The doctors tackled her to the floor then, yelling angrily to each other. One finally pulled out a needle, and stuck Kagome in the arm, through the straight jacket. The girl screamed in pain, and then went silent as her head slumped to the floor.

            "Hey, you two!" The doctor's voice seemed far away even though he was just down the hall, "You aren't supposed to be up here! Get back downstairs!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            InuYasha stormed out of the elevator the moment it reached the ground floor again. Sango clutched to his elbow, pulling him back.

            "InuYasha! Don't do anything stupid!" She warned, but he pried her fingers off of his arm, and continued down the hall towards the nurse's station. There he halted, pounding angrily on the glass around the counter.

            "I demand to know what's going on here!" He yelled at the man inside. The man spoke through the little holes in the glass, "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to calm down."

            "Like hell I'll calm down!" He yelled. Sango stood a few feet away, looking around nervously for doctors.

            "I demand to know! What happened to Kagome Higurashi?! Where's Nurse Kikyo?!" Yes, he had noticed the nurse's absence most of all. She always came to his room in the morning.

            "Sir," Rang the voice on the other side of the glass, "I'm afraid I cannot tell you that. Please calm down or I'll call the doctors."

            "Tell me! I know you know!" InuYasha pounded on the glass again, his anger rising. The man behind the counter quailed in alarm when the crunch of glass cracking could be heard over the yelling.

            Pushing a little red button in front of him, the man began to yell into the intercom, calling for someone to take away the crazy man beating on the glass.

            Although terrified that she would also get in trouble, Sango stayed in her spot. She would never leave InuYasha alone in this state. It didn't take long for the doctors to arrive, most coming from upstairs. Sure enough, they grabbed InuYasha first, and then Sango. Hauling them both back to their rooms.

            InuYasha was held down onto his bed and given a shot. It had taken three doctors to subdue him, and all three stayed there as they held him to the bed before the drugs took effect.

            "InuYasha, we've given you a sedative. Try to calm down, alright?"

            "Kikyo… Kagome…" InuYasha tossed his head back and forth on the pillow, sweat running down his face.

            The doctor sighed, "You won't be seeing Nurse Kikyo any longer. Thanks to this Kagome Higurashi that you're so intent on finding…"

            The words didn't actually process until well after the doctor had left, and the drugs began to wear off. InuYasha sat up, confused and disoriented. All that he knew for sure was that he had to speak to Kagome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            It had taken a while to pick the lock on his door, but InuYasha had managed it in less time than it normally took him when they put him into lock down. Quietly, he stole towards the elevator, careful to stay in the shadows so that even the cameras couldn't pick up on his movement.

            He took the stairs instead, in order to limit his chances of running into someone on the way. It would be a long run, but well worth it.

            After a good while of stairs, he came to the door marked for the last floor. He carefully opened it, scouting the room with golden eyes before slipping into the hallway.

            The man guarding this floor had his own station just like the one downstairs. It had glass panels all around it, with a counter on the inside. The guard didn't seem to notice InuYasha as he crouched out of view and passed the station with ease. It wouldn't have mattered, though, since the man had the TV turned up so loud that he probably wouldn't be able to hear a bomb go off.

            InuYasha slowly walked to each large, metal door. Peeking through the small window on each one, checking for any sign of Kagome.

            Half way through, he could hear soft sobbing coming from a door across the hall. Tip toeing over, InuYasha looked through the window. His amber eyes widened when he found Kagome curled up in the center of a bare, padded room. A straight jacket pinned her arms behind her, forcing her to shift uncomfortably every few minutes.

            "Kagome…?" He whispered. Although the door seemed thick, she still managed to hear him. Picking her head up slowly, her eyes brightened with hope.

            "InuYasha!" She yelled, getting up on unsteady legs and staggering over to the door. She collapsed against it. InuYasha could hear the rough cloth of the straight jacket sliding down the length of the door. Although he could no longer see her, the boy could still hear her choked sobbing.

            "Oh, InuYasha…" She gasped, "I'm sorry, so sorry…"

            "What are you talking about, Kagome? Why are you here?" He asked as gently as he could, not wanting to upset her any more.

            "I found Kikyo… " Her voice grew softer, until the last sentence was barely a whisper that he had to strain to hear, "They think I killed her… She was dead, InuYasha. Dead."

InuYasha leaned his back against the cold, metal door. He could hear Kagome shifting against the other side; her quiet sobbing drifting to his ears. The boy sighed, fighting back the burning feeling behind his eyes. Slowly, he slid down the length of the door, landing on the tile.

            InuYasha buried his face in his hands, shaking his head in disbelief.

            "Kagome… What have you done?"

***********************************************************************

Extra Author's Note: Still there, everyone? Go review! Thanx!


	12. The Heart

Author's Note: Updated quickly this time! I just had so many ideas for this chapter; I couldn't wait to write them. I'm pretty happy about how this fanfic is turning out. I hope everyone else is too! But of course, I won't know unless you review! Also, the quote that you will find in here… I got it off of a website with miscellaneous quotes, and this one didn't tell who or what it came from. If anyone knows, please tell me so that I can give him or her credit. It not… oh well.

Disclaimer: The English dictionary defines the word 'disclaimer' as… Foxterr does not own InuYasha!

My Will

Chapter 12: The Heart

InuYasha turned his bleary eyes away from the door as the red headed nurse walked in. He lay in his bed, covers pulled up to his chin. The boy half opened one eye to watch her as she made her way around the room. He could tell by the dark circles under her green eyes that she was tired.

            "InuYasha, get out of bed," She sighed. The sharp and irate quality that had once been in her voice had long since been drained away by sleepless nights, InuYasha noticed. She was now listless, as many of the nurses were. They completed their tasks with empty smiles, but the boy also noticed that fear danced in their eyes.

            InuYasha knew well that they had heard of Kikyo's story. Since that day, no nurse would consent to go down into the basement if they were sent down there for whatever reason. And most of all, no one would go anywhere near the patient who had supposedly murdered Nurse Kikyo.

Kagome Higurashi.

            "It's been three weeks. Get out of bed and do something," The red head continued in the same emotionless tone. InuYasha sat up quickly from his bed, a menacing growl escaping his throat as he did so.

            The woman jumped, dropping the pile of laundry onto the tile floor. Her green eyes grew wide with fear as she backed towards the wall and pressed her back against it.

            InuYasha flopped back onto the softness of the covers, content that he had gotten the desired effect. With shaking hands, the nurse picked up the laundry and fled the room without another word, leaving InuYasha to his solitude.

            Although, now that he thought about it, it was true. He hadn't gone to any sessions in the past three weeks. In fact, he hadn't gone anywhere besides the bathroom and the cafeteria, where he only stayed long enough to eat his food. Most days he spent unmoving in his bed, contemplating what had happened on that day.

            Kagome… she was locked up; alone in the padded room. His mind went back to the night that he had found her in there. The way hope had flickered across her face upon seeing him. He had caused her to feel hope?

            With a grunt, InuYasha threw the covers off of his body, slipping out of the bed. The strange emotions suddenly washing over him were more than the boy could handle at the moment.

            Getting dressed quickly, InuYasha made his way down to the cafeteria. He could always count on food to get his mind off of things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome watched with narrowed eyes as Miroku cleared his throat and folded his hands upon his desk. "Tell me, Kagome. What do you remember about that night three weeks ago?"

            Kagome remained silent, glaring at him with hollow eyes. She shifted slightly in the uncomfortable straight jacket, turning her head to face the globe. The girl was not surprised by her reflection on the over polished surface. After all, her once shiny and soft black hair had gone without a proper combing for nearly three weeks now. It set in matted clumps around her head. Her face was pale, her eyes looked empty, void of feeling.

            Miroku raised an eyebrow at her, "Kagome, you do know what night I'm talking about. Don't you?"

            Kagome turned back to face him, her eyes suddenly sparked with fire in her anger. "I know what you're talking about," She spat.

            Miroku did not flinch; he simply nodded calmly and continued. "Then perhaps you can tell me what you remember from that night?"

            It was a simple question, asked innocently enough. But Kagome had been hearing that question for weeks, and she had answered it the same way every time. Why did no one believe her?

            "I told you already!" She yelled, jumping up from her chair, which tilted from her sudden movement and then toppled onto the floor behind her. The doctor who had been standing in the corner got up to grab the girl before she could fly across the desk at the man.

            "I don't remember anything!" She screamed as the doctor began to drag her out of the room, "I didn't kill her! Do you hear me? I didn't do it!" Miroku watched calmly as the doctor pulled out a needle. 

            "No," the psychiatrist put up a hand to stop him, "She has a right to say her part."

            The doctor put the needle away. As Kagome caught her breath after the sudden outburst, he picked the chair up and sat her back down into it. "Don't do that again," He growled, stalking back over to his corner in the shadows.

            "Okay," Miroku began again, taking a deep breath, "You don't remember. That's perfectly understandable. You have a right to know, Kagome, that someone with your condition tends to black out at times, believing that they are completely possessed by one of the voices—"

            "He's not just a voice from my imagination," She muttered to him, "He's a real person who can somehow get into my head."

            Miroku nodded, scribbling something down on the chart in front of him. "Can you tell me his name?" He asked, pen at the ready to write.

            Kagome shook her head, "He never told me."

            Miroku nodded again, placing the clipboard onto his desk and the pen next to it. "That's alright. But as I was saying… You are planning to plead insanity at the case, correct?"

            Kagome nearly shot back out of her seat at that comment, but with a few deep breaths she managed to contain her anger. "I didn't kill her," She ground out, "I was unconscious on the floor, and when I woke up, I found her dead."

            "Kagome…" Miroku shook his head, "The only finger prints we found on the knife… were yours…"

            At this, Kagome stared at him, dumbstruck. "But I didn't…"

            Miroku looked at her with pity in his eyes, "You did."

            Kagome could take it no longer. She broke down into tears, sobbing loudly. Having no hands to cover her face with, she brought her knees up on the chair, bringing them close to her body.

            "I didn't… I didn't kill… Kikyo…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "What's all this?" The nurse asked as she loaded a suitcase full of belongings into one of the empty closets.

            The nurse next to her, toting a large, yellow backpack spoke, "This is Miss Higurashi's stuff."

            The other nurse felt her hands begin to tremble, "Kagome Higurashi? The one who murdered Nurse Kikyo?"

            "The very same," The other nurse nodded, tossing the backpack carelessly into the dark closet. Both nurses, already on edge, jumped back in alarm as a small stone rolled out of the closet, stopping at their feet.

            "What's this?" The first one asked, bending down to pick it up. Slowly, she turned it over in her fingers as she stood, noting the strange symbol engraved on one side.

            "Who cares? Just put it back and let's go. I don't want to touch that girl's stuff anymore than I have to. It's probably cursed." The girl backed away slightly, tugging on her friend's arm.

            The other laughed, tugging her arm free and walking into the closet. After placing the stone back in the backpack, she joined her coworker once more, closing and locking the closet door behind her.

            "Oh, it's just like you to come up with something as far fetched as that," She giggled, leading the frightened woman away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            'But I loved Kikyo…' InuYasha's thoughts wandered, 'How could I possibly feel that way about Kagome after what she did?'

            'But she said she didn't do it,' He told himself, 'why don't I believe her?'

As he sat on the floor, flicking his marbles across the tile, InuYasha pulled the broken pink stone out of his pocket, placing it in the middle of the floor. Each marble reminded him of something, which was why he enjoyed watching them for so long. The pink one was his favorite. So delicate, so beautiful; it reminded him of his mother.

            _Your heart understands what your head cannot yet conceive; trust your heart._

He remembered that his mother had said those words to him, long ago. She had been tucking him into bed, and had whispered those words into his ear. He had never really understood what she had meant by that. Not even when he had been weeping over her grave. Yet suddenly… It was all clear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Kagome?" The soft whisper of a familiar voice floated into the small room. Kagome slowly lifted her head, as it ached from hours of sobbing.

            "InuYasha?" Her heart lifted, but sank again as she realized what she had done.

            "Come to the door," He beckoned. It was night again, and the doctor lay dozing in his chair while a rerun of 'I Love Lucy' played in the back round. InuYasha pressed himself up against the cold metal door, as if he could feel the girl through it as she slumped against it once again.

            "Kagome, I believe you. You could never have—" He was suddenly cut off by her voice.

            "They told me that I did, InuYasha," She choked back a sob, "And I'm beginning to think that they're right."

            _Your heart understands what your head cannot yet conceive; trust your heart._

"You didn't."

*************************************************************

Extra Author's Note: I know it seems that Kagome's emotions are going everywhere, but the truth is that—they are! She's under a lot of stress, which is causing her to have emotional outbursts and such. Okay? Just in case someone was going to comment about that. Also, you will soon learn why InuYasha is in the mental hospital in the first place. Stay tuned and please review!


	13. He Has Come

Author's Note: This chapter is really short. Sorry guys! But there's a method of this madness. This is a… like a starter for the ending of this story. I think that the last real chapter will be the next one, but then there will be an epilogue. So in all, about 15 chapters. At least, that's how I plan it… we'll see if it works out this way. Thanks for waiting for this update. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Foxterr's theory Do we really own anything? I know I don't…

My Will

Chapter 13: He Has Come

"There was blood everywhere. I tried to see through the crack in the door, but all I could see was… blood," InuYasha sat by the cold metal door to Kagome's room, his back leaning up against it. Slowly, he closed his eyes shut tight and rested his head against the door. Slight shifting sounds of rough cloth could be heard from the other side, indicating that Kagome was still awake and listening to him.

            "When I was sure that he was gone, I came out of the closet," He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, feeling a burning sensation in the back of his throat, "They were dead… That man killed them. I'll never forget what he looked like, because I saw his face right before he left. The look in his eyes… I could tell how much he loved killing."

            "InuYasha…" Kagome said soothingly from inside the dark room. She put her hand up against the door, wishing that she could be there to comfort him, to hug the boy and tell him that everything would be all right.

             "It took me ten years to find him again. I wandered the streets for a good three of those years just searching for that face in the shadows… Sometimes I'd sleep in the alleys, sometimes I wouldn't sleep at all." InuYasha swallowed. He found that it was becoming harder and harder to fight back the urge to sob.

            "I found him about two years ago one night. He wasn't actually murdering at the time. In fact, he was there in the court room after I was arrested, dressed like some kind of businessman," InuYasha winced at the very thought, "I wish every day that I had killed him. To get him back for… for killing my father and mother. Instead I ended up here."

            InuYasha squeezed the broken pink marble that he had been rolling between his fingers. He could hear Kagome softly sobbing on the other side of the door. She was crying for him?

            "Kagome… please don't cry," He whispered, turning his face towards the crack to be heard.

            Inside, Kagome shook her head, "I'm sorry, InuYasha," She choked out, trying to suppress her sobs, "I can't even begin to understand how much that must have hurt…" She could feel the pain in her throat begin to move upwards as her head began to ache. Curling up in a ball underneath the door, Kagome pleaded softly, "Stay here with me tonight, InuYasha?"

            InuYasha shifted to make himself slightly more comfortable against the door. "Alright," He said simply, "Goodnight."

            After a few minutes, Kagome heard his breathing become even. She, however, remained wide-awake. The pain at her temples was enough to drive her insane, or at least farther in the deep end than she already was.

            "Kagome…" 

Kagome sprang up. He was there again. She glanced around the room frantically, making sure that he wasn't hiding in the shadows. "What… what do you want?" She finally managed to say, fear gripping at her very soul.

            _"I need you to do something for me, Kagome. I'll let you out of there. Would you like that?"_

The girl felt new fear rising in her chest. Was he in the hospital? She had deemed those visions of her opening the back door for him as a delirious dream. But what if…

            "Please, don't…"

            _"Don't what, Kagome? I don't plan on killing anyone but you tonight. After you do my little favor that is…now just sit there and wait for me."_

As Kagome felt the headache ebb away, she sat heavily onto the floor with a desperate groan. Placing her face in her hands, she began to weep with unrestrained abandon.

            "Please don't hurt InuYasha…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The shadow man crept up the stairs, silently stepping over each one. His eyes seemed to glow as he crept amidst the darkness, never showing his face. Coming to a large, looming metal door, he opened it carefully, stealing a glance at the hallway that lay beyond it.

            He slunk into the room, letting the door close quietly behind him. Creeping in the shadows, he darted over to the nurse's station, melting in the darkness. There was the glint of metal as a ring of keys was lifted, and pulled away. The shadow man had all that he could do to resist the temptation to kill.

            Creeping from door to door, the shadow man found the one that he desired. A boy was sitting underneath it, sleeping soundly, his long silver hair shining in the slight moonlight that lit through the small windows near the ceiling. The shadow man hesitated a moment, as if contemplating something.

            Soon, he pushed the sleeping boy aside and knocked lightly on the door.

_"Kagome, wake up. I know you're watching me."_

            With a start, Kagome started awake. She lay sprawled out on the floor of her room. She could hear scuffling outside her door. Gasping, she stood up and backed away, for there was a tall shadow looming beyond.

            She could hear the rustle of keys and the soft click of the lock turning. As the door opened slowly, the shadow man crept in, a devious glint in his eyes.

            Kagome backed away from him towards the barred window on the opposite wall. "Where's InuYasha?" She asked, feeling her back touch the cold barrier. She was trapped.

            "Who?" Asked the man, taking a step towards her.

            Kagome simply shook her head at him, her wide eyes holding only fear. If this man did not know who InuYasha was, she wasn't about to tell him.

            Suddenly, the man began to reach towards her. Kagome winced and pressed her body as close to the wall as she could, shutting her eyes tightly. She expected the worse, but nothing came.

            "Come with me," Said the man, offering his hand to her. Kagome eyed it a moment before shaking her head. The shadow man shrugged and turned towards the door, beckoning for her to follow. 

Kagome swallowed hard. Slowly, she crossed the length of the room, and stepped out into the hallway.

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Extra Author's Note: Told you it was short! Well, please review anyway! The more reviews I get, the more inspired I'll be to come out with the next chapter. And if you're interested, I put up a new story a few days ago. It's a Rurouni Kenshin AU called, "Your Azure Eyes," Check it out on my profile. Thanks, and REVIEW, please!!!


	14. Spell on You

Author's Note: I got a little carried away… Yes, this chapter is very, very long, lol. It took me forever to write, and the carpal tunnel is starting to set in… ouch. shakes out wrist This is the longest chapter I have ever written for any of my stories on FF.net. I hope that you enjoy it! It'll prolly be horribly confusing, seeing as it's 1:30 AM and I'm tired as hell… but what else it new? At the end of this you'll be staring at the screen asking: "WTF??" But it'll all be explained in the epilogue, promise.  Lol. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm too tired to care. Refer to previous chapter if you want one that bad.

My Will

Chapter 14: Spell on You 

**_"To control others is to have power, to control yourself is to know the way" _**

**_-- Lao Ma_**

-

As Kagome stepped out of the room she had been kept in under lock and key for so very long, the first thing she noticed was that a certain white haired boy was missing. Her eyes frantically combed the shadows, searching for the telltale glint of amber eyes to reassure her. But all she found was the quiet darkness.

            "Come on," The man said, stepping briskly down the hall. Kagome was forced to follow him. After all, she didn't have a chance of getting away in a straight jacket. Though her eyes continued to flick towards the dark corners, she held her tongue about the missing boy. If InuYasha had somehow gotten away, she didn't want to alert this man to that fact.

            The man opened the large, metal door to the stairs soundlessly. Quickly, he slipped inside as if he had melted into the very shadows themselves. This took Kagome aback for a moment. In his brief absence, her mind screamed for her to run. But just as soon as she had turned towards the security guard, she felt something grab her by the back of the straight jacket. Someone pulled her backwards, causing the girl to loose her balance and tilt dangerously.

            Just as Kagome felt as though she was going to fall to the floor, her back hit something rather solid. Quickly, she turned her head, but the Shadow Man met her gaze, for she had landed on his chest. Kagome gasped and tried to twist away from him, but his hands clasped themselves around her shoulders. She stood, gasping for air, feeling the heat of his breath on the back of her neck.

            "Now, now… There will be no running away. If you try that again, I'll kill everyone in this place," He whispered the threat directly into her ear, causing Kagome to shudder with dread.

            The man spun her around and shoved Kagome towards the door. She opened it with shaking fingers and walked through. She could feel the Shadow Man's malevolent presence enter the small landing after her.

            Kagome sucked in air with a gasp as she felt the cold steel of a knife smooth along her neck. The man stood directly behind her, gripping her left arm tightly with his free hand as the other held steady the knife at her throat.

            "Take me to his room," He said loudly, as they were no longer in danger of waking up the nurse on guard.

            "Whose room?" Kagome asked, her voice shaking slightly. She swallowed hard as she felt the knife press harder against her skin.

            "You know who I'm talking about. Don't be stupid, Kagome." He added her name, giving it a silky tone as he rubbed the blunt edge of the knife against her cheek. Kagome shuddered in disgust.

            "Who?" She asked, "I don't know who you're talking about," She tried as best she could to stay calm, but it was becoming harder and harder as his body pressed closer to hers and the once steady hand that held the knife began to shake with anger.

            "Don't toy with me, little girl," He hissed, "Or I'll be forced to get rid of you now and do the rest for myself." He brought the knife to her throat again, pushing it in deep enough to draw blood. Kagome's breath came in quick gasps as fear took control of her body.

            "Wh… Why haven't you killed me already?" A stupid move, she knew well, but she needed to find out. Why was he using her like this? Why was he putting her through so much torment?

            "Because, my dear Kagome…" He pulled the knife away from her throat and spun her around to face him, "If I'm to have a life after this… I can't be linked to a series of horrific murders at some mental institution, now can I? Afterwards, they need to find someone else's fingerprints on the murder weapon." 

            "After what?" Kagome demanded, her strength returning since the knife had left her throat.

            "After I get the other half of the jewel," He replied, an evil smile on his face, "And become human once again. My soul lies in the other half of the Shikon No Tama, and I'm not about to leave unless I get it."

            "You were never human to begin with," Kagome growled, trying to yank free of his grip on her arms, but he spun her around again, knife at her bleeding throat. Kagome stopped struggling immediately.

            The man removed the knife and gave her a not so gentle push in the back, which, had she not kept her balance, would have sent her careening down the stairs.

            "Stupid, naïve, little girl," He muttered, "Now take me to that boy's room."

            As they began the long trek down the stairs, all was silent except for the light tapping of their feet on the concrete stairs. Kagome was ready to go mad if she didn't say something soon.

            "What's you're name?" She asked innocently enough, but not really expecting an answer.

            "Naraku," Came the smooth reply. Kagome paused on the stairs and blinked in surprise. Images flitted across her mind, "You… you were the one on the rock, I remember now! I had a dream where you… you…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the horrific images that had plagued her dreams a few days after her encounter with the mysterious man on the rock. The sedatives that the doctors had given her must have caused her to forget some of these details, or else she would have put it together sooner.

            She could hear Naraku chuckle behind her as he gave her another hard shove to get her going again. "… Just another wanderer on one of life's journey's," He recalled a bit more of the memory for her, "I wondered how long it would take you to recognize me."

            _"I wonder how long it'll take you to piece it all together," _His voice rang in her mind. Kagome continued to walk down the stairs, trying to shut out the voice, but he continued, _"You probably never will, seeing how you won't live long enough." _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~__

            Kagome's legs were shaking by the time they reached the floor she had once stayed on. Not because of fatigue, but due to sheer terror. Her wide eyes searched the shadows once more for InuYasha, but still found nothing.

            "Where's his room, Kagome?" Naraku asked.

            By this time, Kagome had figured out exactly whom the man was talking about. After a slight hesitation, she began walking in the direction of InuYasha's room, heedless of the cameras. Naraku followed her, content in the fact that he had slipped poison in the security guard's coffees. They would not interfere tonight.

            Kagome stopped at the doorway, sighing in relief. InuYasha wasn't there, which meant that he was safe somewhere else in the hospital. At least, she hoped.

            Naraku pushed past her. He walked into the room as if he had done so everyday of his life, and went straight for the dresser. Kagome gasped as he pulled out the first drawer and dumped its contents onto the floor, kicking his foot through the clothes to find his prize.

            Kagome watched in horror and amazement as Naraku ransacked the room. He had just gotten to the nightstand when the girl felt a light tap on her shoulder and the heat of breath near her ear.

            "Come on," InuYasha's voice whispered to her. Kagome turned towards him quietly, relief washing through her. She watched as InuYasha put a finger to his lips to keep her quiet. Gently he tugged on the loose fabric at the arm of her straight jacket, pulling her away from the doorway. Turning her around, he swiftly untied the arms of the straight jacket, pulling it off of her and tossing it to the floor.

            "Let's go," He said just as quietly, grabbing her hand and leading her in the direction of the elevator.

            "InuYasha, thank you," She whispered to him. He turned as they ran and smiled at her warmly.

            "It's all gonna be alright, Kagome—"

            _"KAGOME!_

The poor girl never heard the rest of InuYasha's words as she collapsed on the floor. A headache overpowered her senses, driving her to the brink of insanity. InuYasha bent down next to her as she put her hands to her head and began to rock back and forth. Naraku's yells pierced through her mind, causing her to cry out in pain.

_"Kagome, get away from him and come to me, girl! Come to me!"_

Kagome felt her body obeying his commands. She tried to stop it, but only succeeded in bringing forth tears that ran down her cheeks.

"Kagome, don't!" InuYasha's voice seemed far away, but she could feel his arms clutching her, trying to pull her back. Her eyes seemed to fail her, as all she could see was black with the occasion flash of a bright light every time Naraku screamed in her 

mind.

            Suddenly, InuYasha's hands left her. She walked blindly forward, groping for something, anything. Her fingers finally caught the soft material of an old, worn shirt. She tangled her fingers into the material and held on for dear life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "You see, you poor fool?" The Shadow Man looked up at InuYasha with an evil smile playing across his face, "She came to me. She is mine to control." The man looked down at the girl, who leaned against him in false security, gripping his shirt tightly in her small, innocent hands. Tears streamed down her face as she leaned her head against his chest, unaware of her surroundings.

            InuYasha stared on in shock. He could not even begin to understand what was going on. "Kagome…" He whispered pleadingly. The man would kill her for sure… why had she gone to him?

            "I can make her do whatever I wish," the man said, patting her shiny black hair with his hand, "She is under my spell, so to speak," He chuckled at his own poor joke.

            InuYasha stayed rooted to his spot, staring on in disbelief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            _"Kagome, take the knife from my pocket," _the voice spoke soothingly now, gently guiding her to do it's bidding. Kagome complied, reaching her small hand into the closest pocket and grasping it around the base of a knife. She pulled it out slowly, holding it next to her body.

            _"Go kill him, Kagome. He's a bad man."_

            Kagome turned around, brandishing the knife in front of her. She saw nothing, only black. But somehow, her body knew exactly what to do. She began walking forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Kagome, no!" InuYasha yelled, taking a step back. His wide eyes met the man's across the room. They stayed locked on each other's gaze.

            Suddenly, the boy took a bold step forward a with an angry snarl, "YOU!" He yelled, pointing a shaking finger at the man, "You killed my family!" It was as if something had suddenly clicked in InuYasha's brain. The eyes… he had recognized those wild eyes with the lust for killing.

            Naraku looked smug as he folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe, "So? You'll be joining them soon."

            InuYasha looked over to Kagome just in time to dodge her first swing. He ducked and dodged until he was standing directly behind her, ready to grab the knife from her hands. But Kagome twisted around, her empty eyes staring off into space as she came closer to slashing the boy.

            "Stop this! Stop doing this to her!" InuYasha demanded of Naraku as he dodged yet another swing. This time, he used all the speed he possessed, spinning around and grabbing the girl's arm that held the knife.

            "Kagome!" He pleaded into her empty gaze, "Don't let him do this to you! Fight it!"

            Kagome struggled in his tight grasp, still intent on killing him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome's sight was becoming hazy. She could make out dark shapes moving around her. Though her body still seemed to move of it's own accord, she focused the rest of her energy on trying to see.

            Suddenly, a new voice broke through her mind.

            "Fight it!"

            It was someone she knew, someone who cared for her greatly, judging by how pained his voice seemed. Suddenly, she was being restrained.

            _"Kill him, Kagome. Kill him now."_

But those words were far away and dim. Her mind began to swim with thoughts of her own, her motor skills slowly returned to her.

            "InuYasha!" She finally managed to yelled, falling into his arms, the knife clattering to the floor next to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Shit," Naraku muttered to himself, watching as the boy in front of him picked the sobbing Kagome up in his arms, "The power's worn off."

            InuYasha glared at the man with hatred gleaming in his amber depths. Slowly, he placed Kagome in a corner. She had slipped into a state of unconsciousness, and it looked as though she was sleeping peacefully.

            InuYasha bent down and picked the knife off the floor. His hands shook with rage, but his angry gaze remained steady. He took a few steps towards Naraku, who did not so much as flinch.

            "Do anything, and I'll torture her." Naraku said quietly, his gaze flicking towards Kagome. She began to writhe in her corner, her eyes squeezing shut tightly as tears streamed down. "Just because I don't have the power to control her anymore, doesn't mean I can't still get into her mind."

            A feral growl sprang from deep in InuYasha's throat, but he stopped his advance all the same. "What do you want?" He spat.

            "The jewel. Give me the jewel."

            InuYasha, startled by this, took a step back. "What?"

            "I want the broken pink jewel. Give it to me and I'll go," Naraku said evenly, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

            InuYasha's hand instinctively went to his pocket. He rolled the small jewel between his fingers, but did not bring it out. "And let you kill more people? I don't think so," He snarled, pulling his hand out.

            "Do it or the girl dies as well as you," Naraku shot back. Kagome screamed from her corner and writhed. Slowly, she opened her eyes and reached a hand out longingly towards the boy.

            "InuYasha…" Her voice was feeble and forced. InuYasha walked backwards towards her, keeping one eye on Naraku at all times.

            "I'm here, Kagome," He said quietly, taking one of her hands in his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Naraku watched, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

            "InuYasha, get my backpack… Get the bottle…" She fainted once again.

            InuYasha had little time to think, as Naraku had walked passed them and stepped into the waiting elevator.

            "Where are you going?" InuYasha asked, standing up straight and holding the knife up.

            "To get something to kill you with," The man answered simply as the elevator doors closed.

            InuYasha watched the elevator for a few moments before bending down and picking Kagome up off the floor. He knew where the nurses had put Kagome's backpack, as they had been gossiping about her and Nurse Kikyo's murder for weeks. It was on the same floor, down the hall in a small supply closet.

            "Hold on, Kagome. We're almost there,' He whispered to her limp and un-responding form.

            When they reached it, InuYasha swiftly kicked the door in; knocking it right off its hinges. He pulled the cord for the hanging light bulb and laid Kagome gently onto the floor.

            The yellow backpack was hard to miss. InuYasha kneeled down next to it, un-zippering the front part as he began to search for something, though he hadn't the faintest clue what.

            His fingers clasped around a small stone at the bottom of the bag. Next to it lay a tiny pink bottle. He pulled both out, laying them on the floor. The stone had a strange engraving on it. The bottle was filled with strong smelling crystals.

            Pocketing the stone, InuYasha crawled over to Kagome, shaking her shoulders to rouse her. Her gray eyes opened dreamily and she blinked a few times.

            "InuYasha…" She whispered, "Did you get it?"

            He nodded, holding up the bottle for her to see. The girl took it in her weak hand, opening it carefully. Slowly, she brought it to her nose, breathing in deeply.

            "Kagome?" InuYasha questioned as she handed the bottle back to him. She breathed a sigh of relief, enjoying the silence in her mind.

            She turned towards him with a smile, "Smelling salts. A gift from a friend back home… They help clear the mind."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Naraku easily broke the lock on the kitchen door, and found it even easier to find the knives. He pulled out the largest one and pocketed a second for good measure. Quickly, he stole out of the room and went back for the elevator. He'd kill them yet. After all, it wasn't as if they had anywhere to hide.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            InuYasha and Kagome made their way towards the stairs.

            "InuYasha, you can't carry me all the way downstairs…" Kagome whispered to him, her voice still weak. But he knew well not to put her down, as she would certainly fall.

            "I can manage. Besides, Naraku has control of the elevator." He replied, shifting Kagome a bit to make her easier to carry. Sure enough, as they turned the corner and the elevator loomed in the distance, the faint sounds of a bell could be heard alerting them to the fact that it was climbing floors.

            "Run!" Kagome managed to choke out. She grasped InuYasha tightly around the neck as he began to run down the long hallway towards the stairs, trying desperately to make it before the elevator.

            They passed the doors as the elevator was still two floors below them. InuYasha sighed with relief and threw open the metal door to the stairs.

            A flash of pain struck his arm and he fell back a few paces, nearly dropping Kagome on the spot. Looking up, InuYasha's gaze once again fell on Naraku, who stood at the top of the stairs brandishing a freshly bloodied butcher knife.

            "I thought you'd still be here," The man smiled. The elevator finally reached their floor, the doors opening with a soft ding and revealing that there was no one inside.

            "Now hand over that jewel or I will kill you now," He began to walk towards them. InuYasha clutched Kagome tighter and walked backwards until his back pressed against the wall on the other side of the hallway. His eyes flickered towards the elevator, but the doors were closing. They were trapped. Kagome looked down. She watched as blood pored from the deep gash in InuYasha's arm. Shuddering, she looked away, burring her face in his chest.

            Naraku continued to walk forward. A dozen things ran through InuYasha's mind. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small rock.

            Kagome looked up and screamed as Naraku raised his knife. The dim light in the hallway caused his blood lust filled eyes to shine maliciously.

            Without hesitation, InuYasha threw the rock at the shadow man as hard as he could.

            Suddenly, a sharp curse met their ears. They watched as the man staggered back a few paces, clutching his head in his hands. The knife clattered to the floor. In less then a second, the man's shining eyes were gone from view. Instead, he lay, crumpled in a heap on the floor in front of them.

            There was nothing to be heard besides labored breathing of two very frightened and confused people. Kagome finally spoke after catching her breath, "Wha—what happened?"

            InuYasha shook his head, his throat suddenly dry, "I have no idea." He edged towards the button on the wall for the elevator, and pressed it. The doors flew open with a cheerful little ding, the bright light inside welcoming them. InuYasha quickly stepped in, the doors closing behind him. After hitting the button for the ground floor, he fell against the side and slid down, panting heavily. He sat Kagome next to him. She sighed and rested her weary head on his shoulder, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

-

**_"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens." _**

**_-- Carl Jung_**

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	15. Epilogue

Author's Note: I've finally come out with the epilogue! Sorry for the long wait, but I just couldn't get this to work with me… not for quite a while. But finally it did, and I hope that it's good. And we reached review 100 last chapter! Thanks everyone, for your positive reviews and for pointing out all of my blunders, cause I know there's a lot of them! Lol. It's late, and I'm off to bed, but I hope that you enjoyed this story, and I hope that you enjoy the epilogue! Perhaps a sequel will be in the works. If you are interested in one, don't be afraid to mention it in your review! Thanks again, and happiness to you and yours.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha… or this piece of chocolate as I stole it from my brother… oh well.

My Will

Epilogue

" To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower . . .hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour . . . " 

~William Blakeg

-

"Walk!" Miroku slammed his fist on the horn of his car while shaking the other at the old woman walking across the street. Just his luck… getting stuck right before the turn into the hospital. He was late as it was.

            "Finally," He muttered, stepping roughly on the gas pedal and screeching into the hospital parking lot. In a whirl of black smoke, he pulled into his spot and put the car into park. He stepped out, slammed the door behind him, and ran up to the back door of the building, tugging the set of keys for the doors out of his pocket.

            Suddenly, the doors flew open, a very disgruntled nurse walking out. Miroku cocked his head to the side as he watched the man storm past him. Perhaps another patient had gotten loose?

            Miroku shrugged and walked in, pocketing the keys once more. He began to pull off his coat as he made his way to the main office, but stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the hallway. His eyes grew wide at the sight before him.

            "What's going on?" Miroku called down the hall, trotting towards the group of doctors huddled in the elevator.

            "Dr. Miroku!" The red headed nurse looked up and ran over to him, her green eyes bright with hope, "We've been waiting for you! Two of your patients were found this morning stuck in the elevator. The guards on duty last night are dead, sir, as well as an unidentified man upstairs."

            Miroku cursed loudly, darting past the nurse towards the elevator. He pushed aside the doctors, forcing them to the walls of the elevator so that he could get a good look at his patients. It was InuYasha and Kagome, huddled together in a corner. InuYasha looked positively mad, his eyes narrowed and darting from doctor to doctor. Kagome, however, was the spitting image of a deer caught in headlights.

            Miroku watched them for a moment. Slowly, he bent down to his knees, offering his hands to them. "Care to stand up?" He asked with a friendly smile, "it won't do any good to sit there all day. Don't worry, I'll take you away from all of these people and into my office where we can straighten everything out."

            InuYasha glared, but Kagome stared at the psychiatrist, blinking a few times at him. Slowly, she moved to take his hand, standing up and pulling InuYasha up with her. Miroku smiled warmly at them, and proceeded to lead them off to his office as promised.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Where is he?" Kagome asked as soon as Miroku closed the door to his office behind them.

            "Who?" Miroku asked, walking over to sit at his desk. He pulled out the patients' files, setting them up neatly on his desk. He motioned for the two to sit down at the chairs in front of him.

            "The man." InuYasha filled in, "The one that we left upstairs."

            Miroku nodded, "I am told that he is dead, and they are taking him to the morgue this very moment."

            "Right now?" Kagome stood up in alarm, darting over to the door, "I have to do something!" She yelled as she ran out. InuYasha stood up to follow her, but Miroku put up a hand to stop him, "Let her go," He said softly, "Whatever happened… she needs closure."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome ran towards the elevator, ignoring the yells of the nurses and doctors around the halls telling her to slow down. The doors opened just as she got there, revealing two men in white coats and a stretcher with a body on top, a sheet covering it's still form.

            "What… what killed him?" She asked as they wheeled past her. She began to walk with them, keeping her distance from the stretcher.

            "A blow to the head. Some little rock hit him right on the temple and killed him." One of the men replied.

            Kagome stared in disbelief. Quickly, she jumped in front of the stretcher, causing the men to stop it in the hallway. "Please," She asked, putting on an innocent face, "Can I have a moment with him? He was a dear friend of mine," Her tongue burned with the lie, but she kept herself calm.

            The men shrugged and walked over to the nurse's station, handing them forms to fill out. Kagome stared at the form under the sheet, willing herself to move forward. Slowly, she bent over Naraku's dead body, lifting the sheet off of his head. It wasn't something she would normally have done… but there was a question burning in her mind that she had to ask him, whether he was dead or alive.

            She stared at his face for a moment. Even death could not bring any kind features to him. His closed eyes seemed as though they could open at any moment, and his mouth curved upwards in wicked smile that only she could see. Kagome took a deep breath before willing herself to ask.

            "That night…" She whispered to the body, "Who killed Kikyo? Did you do it, or did you force me to do it for you?"

            She stood for a moment, almost expecting an answer from him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the men returning. With a sigh, she replaced the sheet over Naraku's head and stepped back out of the stretcher's way. The men nodded to her, and began wheeling it towards the back door.

            _"I did it…"_

            The voice was weak inside her head, and seemed to fade away just as soon as it had come. Kagome watched the stretcher go, her body paralyzed with fear. Had Naraku answered her? She couldn't tell the men her suspicions, as her voice seemed to fail her. Her throat had gone dry, and no words would come out.

She watched helplessly as they opened the back door, and loaded the stretcher into the ambulance, closing the door behind them.

            Would they have believed her?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Kagome stepped back into the office, her fingers shaking as she closed the tall, oak door behind her.

            "Are you alright now, Kagome?" Miroku asked, raising an eyebrow at her in question.

            She looked up at him, still standing by the door. Slowly, she began to walk over, forcing her head to nod at him. She sat down rather shakily, earning a questioning gaze from InuYasha. She met his eyes, silently asking him to drop his questions.

            "Good then," Miroku folded his hands on the desk in front of him, "Why don't we start with your explanation as to why all of last night's security guards are dead, and why there was a dead man upstairs by the elevator?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "Then I'm free to go?" Kagome was on the edge of her seat, her eyes bright.

            "Yes, you and InuYasha will be released today. Both of you are mentally healthy. I have no doubt that you helped each other through everything, eh?" Miroku sat back in his chair and smiled. Kagome felt like jumping on top of his desk and dancing for joy at that very moment, but she kept herself contained.

            She watched as Miroku scribbled something down onto her papers. He flipped them around and handed Kagome a shiny, black pen.

            "Sign these, and you're free to go."

            Kagome elegantly signed, accenting every loop and curve of the signature in her joy. She placed the pen on top of the paper, and stood up from the chair with a cheerful goodbye.

            On her way out, she caught the glint of something out of the corner of her eye. Instantly, she remembered the shiny black globe. The instrument of torture that had thrown back her image so scornfully every time she had ever stepped foot in the office. Checking to make sure that Miroku was busy filing her papers for the last time, Kagome edged over to the globe. She ran her fingers along the smooth, wood base holding the thing up, and then moved along the globe itself. It was cold to the touch… no surprise.

**Crash!**

Miroku nearly jumped out of his chair at the sudden noise. Looking up, he saw the expensive globe shattered beyond repair on the blue carpet floor. His eyes darted to Kagome, who was already out the door.

            "Sorry!" Her voice called to him from the hallway, though it did not sound as sincere as he would have liked. The psychiatrist sighed and got up to clean the mess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "I'm so happy for you!" Sango squealed, throwing her arms around Kagome's neck, "You're going to be free!"

            Kagome hugged her friend back, giggling light heartedly, "Yes! The voice is gone and they say I'm mentally healthy!" She pulled away, "Don't worry, Sango, you'll be out soon enough."

            The girl nodded with a brave smile, "Yes, they say I'm doing a lot better now. Perhaps I'll come and see you in a few months when they release me?"

            Kagome nodded, "I would love that." She looked down to see the small, quiet child peaking from behind Sango's skirt. Kagome smiled, bending down to his level. "And you, Shippo" She said to him, "You'll be out soon too. Right?"

            He stared for a moment, blinking at her. Just as Kagome was about to give in and stand back up, he smiled at her and nodded.

            "Hey. I hate to break up the party, but its time to go," InuYasha appeared in the doorway, a bag of luggage over his shoulder. His face held a frown, as usual, but his voice sounded cheerful and pleased.

Kagome smiled brightly at him, hoisting her yellow backpack onto her shoulders, "Okay then, we're off. I'll miss you two!" She gave Sango one last hug, and shook the hand of the small boy behind her. Quickly, she trotted over to InuYasha, grabbing his free hand with her own.

            InuYasha looked down at her, amber eyes meeting her stormy gray ones. Slowly, he smiled a true and joyful smile. Kagome smiled back and leaned against him.

            "Come on, InuYasha. Let's go home."

            "I agree." He said cheerfully, and together, hand in hand, they left the hospital without once looking back.

-

Your heart understands what your head cannot yet conceive; trust your heart.

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